Developing a Synthetic Index of Land Vulnerability to Drought and Desertification

Bibliographic Data

ID7784695
AuthorsLuca Salvati (0000-0001-9322-9987), Marco Zitti (Cereal Research Centre), Tomaso Ceccarelli, Luigi Perini (Cereal Research Centre)
Year2009
Volume47
Issue3
Pages280-291
Publication date2009-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueGeographical Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1745-5863 • E-ISSN: 1745-5871
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/j.1745-5871.2009.00590.x
OpenAlexW2011509865
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited52

This paper develops an index of the vulnerability of land to drought and desertification (LVI) for Italy. The index takes into account changes in climate, land use, vegetation cover, soil properties, and population during the period 1990–2000. The LVI was built up through a multivariate approach aimed at assessing the importance of the various indicators included in the synthetic index. Increasing land vulnerability was observed during this time, especially in dry areas of the southern regions. This is interpreted as a consequence of land management practices, agricultural intensification, population pressure, and bio‐physical degradation. The LVI can be used in an integrated, decision‐support system to evaluate the impact of mitigation policies in rural environments

Agriculture · Climate change · Desertification · Environmental resource management · Geography · Land cover · Land degradation · Land use · Population · Vulnerability index · Water resource management · Climate change impacts on agriculture · Environmental Science · Land Use and Ecosystem Services · Remote Sensing in Agriculture · Ecology

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