TERRASAFE will work in Southern Europe and Northen Africa to tackle desertification. Researchers will work with land managers and other stakeholders to co-create and implement the widespread adoption of various innovations for preventing land degradation and for restoring areas of desertification.
Around 40% of land worldwide is already considered degraded and so is at risk of, or already suffering from, desertification. This research is therefore crucial for seeking ways of both preventing and responding to desertification.
The project includes 5 case study areas, each of which are highly vulnerable to desertification:
1. Italy, in areas facing land abandonment and depopulation
2. Spain, which faces water scarcity
3. Romania, where there is vegetation decline
4. Tunisia, due to the severe soil degradation occurring in certain areas
5. Cyprus, which is also struggling with soil degradation, a precursor to desertification
TERRASAFE objectives
Our objective in each of these countries is to:
Seek ways of sustainably preventing and combating desertification
Produce and adopt a framework for assessing the extent of desertification
Evaluate and demonstrate various innovations which can prevent or combat desertification
Contribute to policymaking at local, regional, national, European, and international levels.
Raise awareness about desertification as a global challenge.
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