Land degradation in the European Union—Where does the evidence converge

Bibliographic Data

ID21648753
AuthorsFederico Gianoli (0000-0002-8375-0485, University of Padova Padova Italy), Mélanie Weynants (0000-0002-1447-0105, Independent Researcher Jena Germany), Michael Cherlet (European Commission, Joint Research Centre Brussels Belgium, corresponding author)
Year2023
Volume34
Issue8
Pages2256-2275
Publication date2023-05-15
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueLand Degradation and Development (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1085-3278 • E-ISSN: 1099-145X
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/ldr.4606
OpenAlexW4315480666
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited44

Land degradation, as a compound of processes that affect land resources worldwide, is notoriously difficult to assess. In Europe, the European Commission has been pressed by the Court of Auditors (ECA) to invest in better understanding land degradation and desertification within the European Union. In the World Atlas of Desertification (WAD), the convergence of evidence (CoE) has been put forward as an integration mechanism to help focus attention on areas where human‐induced global land change issues (LCIs) are putting pressure on the planetary boundaries, potentially leading to land degradation. Rather than trying to map degradation itself, the CoE explores how many of these processes are simultaneously at play and where they occur. In this study, we tailor the CoE framework to the European Union through a more appropriate selection of regionally relevant LCIs and a focus on finer input data. Our analysis draws attention to areas in Europe confronted with specific environmental challenges (e.g., the Po Valley or the Ruhr region) and confirms that LCIs mostly accumulate in croplands and urban areas. We found that more LCIs consistently coincide with a specific Sustainable Development Goal indicator (SDG indicator 15.3.1, calculated using the Trends.Earth tool), signals a degrading status. However, our analysis also shows that many areas with a stable or improving status are subject to LCIs not considered in that indicator. We therefore advise including other indicators of land status and trends when assessing land degradation, while stressing that the link to contextual knowledge remains necessary for a final interpretation

Business · Desertification · Economics · Environmental degradation · Environmental planning · Environmental protection · Environmental resource management · European union · Geography · International trade · Land degradation · Land use · Natural resource economics · Political science · Sustainable development · Environmental Science · Land Use and Ecosystem Services · Law · Rangeland Management and Livestock Ecology · Soil erosion and sediment transport · Ecology

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