An oasis in the Sahara Desert, Libya. Patrick Poendl/Shutterstock February 2, 2021 Paradox lost: wetlands can form in deserts, but we need to find and protect them Stephen Tooth, Aberystwyth University; Peyton Lisenby, Midwestern State University, and Timothy J. Ralph, Macquarie University Wetlands in drylands seem impossible, but their benefits to people and wildlife are very real.