Nearly half of Cyprus is under conditions of desertification, one of the highest shares recorded anywhere in the European Union, according to a new report from the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) published on Monday.
The report found that 45% of the island's land area meets the criteria for desertification, placing Cyprus second only to Spain, where the figure stands at 53%. Greece follows in third place with 36% of its land affected. The findings form part of a wider JRC assessment of land degradation and desertification across the EU, built on an updated methodology for mapping the areas most affected by the loss of soil quality and productivity.
Cyprus also recorded the highest proportion of population living in a desertification-affected area of any EU member state. The report put the figure at 61% of the Cypriot population, or approximately 0.7 million people. Greece followed with 47%, Spain with 43%, Romania with 39% and Bulgaria with 37%.
Defining the problem
The report distinguishes between land degradation and desertification. Land degradation refers to the long-term decline in the quality and productivity of soil, driven by a combination of human activity and natural causes. Desertification is a narrower term, describing land degradation that occurs specifically within dry regions. The methodology applied in the report draws on the framework used by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, adapted to fit EU-specific data.
Across the bloc as a whole, dry regions now cover approximately 15% of EU territory, or 611,000 square kilometres, an area roughly twice the size of Italy. Of that, 530,000 square kilometres are affected by desertification, equivalent to around 12% of the EU's total land area and touching the lives of approximately 42 million people.
The report further identifies more than a million additional square kilometres, 1,004,608 square kilometres to be precise, as being at heightened future risk of desertification. This assessment is based on projected aridity levels for the period 2021 to 2040, and includes many areas that do not currently fall within zones classified as dry.
Climate change and the road ahead
The Commission's projections point to a growing risk of desertification linked to climate change, with reduced rainfall, more frequent droughts and rising temperatures expected in a number of EU regions. To model future risk, the methodology draws on projections for the global aridity index and potential evapotranspiration, a measure of how much water is lost from land and vegetation to the atmosphere.
The JRC said it is developing a dedicated data platform on desertification through the EU Soil Observatory, which will provide access to updated statistics and mapping on land degradation and desertification across the bloc, along with data on the impact on affected populations.
Source: CNA
