Quantification of land degradation sensitivity areas in Southern and Central Southeastern Europe. New results based on improving DISMED methodology with new climate data

Land degradation is considered to be a major environmental problem of the European continent, especially in the Mediterranean region. This study aims to deliver new results in terms of the actual land sensitivity to degradation in the southern and central southeastern areas of Europe, by improving the results of the DISMED (Desertification Information System for the Mediterranean) project, initiated by the European Environment Agency (EEA) after 2000. The methodology is based on updating the SDI (Sensitivity Desertification Index), which was obtained in the DISMED project based on three biophysical parameters, i.e. Climate Quality Index (CQI), Soil Quality Index and Vegetation Quality Index. This approach proposes to improve the SDI by replacing the initial CQI with a new one based on revised climate aridity data, superior to what was initially used in terms of spatial, temporal and methodological accuracy. Given the fact that land aridity expansion was found to be 70% greater than previously estimated, results showed there are lands with high and very high sensitivity to degradation that total > 400,000 km2 (~ 25% of the total area of ~ 1.7 mil km2), ~ 75% more (~ 177,000 km2) than the initial DISMED data. Nationally, while Spain is the most severely threatened (~ 240,000 km2 of highly/very highly susceptible lands to degradation, 49% of the total country area) there are also major concerns for Greece (~ 42,000 km2, 34%), Bulgaria (~ 32,000 km2, 29%), Italy (~ 28,000 km2, 10%), Romania (~ 27,000 km2, 11%) and Portugal (~ 24,000 km2, 28%). This situation is alarming due to the magnitude of changes resulting from the replacement of even a single dataset - climate data -, which are however the most dynamic and, as a result, the most important to consider for improving the DISMED model. Against the background of the findings prompted by this update based on the original scheme of DISMED method, we call on the EEA to reconsider the current status of lands that are critically threatened by degradation/desertification in Europe, and to provide updated information to policymakers (like European Commission or United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification) in order to prioritize the appropriate policies for combating/mitigating the negative effects of this process.