This accessible explainer from CREAF discusses how soil is formed, how it degrades, and the consequences of the degradation. With a special focus on desertification in Catalonia, Spain, it also touches on ways to prevent desertification.
Did you know that two thirds of Catalonia’s land is vulnerable to desertification? Based on today’s climate and the changes it is set to undergo over the coming years, the parts of Catalonia most vulnerable to desertification are the districts of the Ebro River basin and the central districts of the provinces of Tarragona and Lleida. The areas in question have dry subhumid and semi-arid Mediterranean climate conditions, and are experiencing longer and more frequent droughts due to climate change. In some places, furthermore, unsustainable, intensive land use has increased the risk of erosion.
Prevention is key to avoiding reaching such a situation, and that is exactly what the authors want to explain in this blog post
https://www.creaf.cat/en/articles/what-desertification-and-how-can-we-prevent-it