A methodology to characterise land degradation and desertification in the European Union

This study proposes a methodology to characterise land degradation and desertification in the European Union. Land degradation is widespread across the European Union (EU) and refers to the long-term decline in the quality and productivity of land resources due to various factors, including human activities and natural processes. It can be manifested through processes such as soil erosion, a loss of soil fertility, and changes in vegetation cover, among other impacts. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) defines desertification as land degradation that occurs in drylands. Drylands are regions where water availability is limited, defined by a low aridity index (precipitation relative to potential evapotranspiration). Sustained periods of increasingly high temperatures, irregular rainfall distribution and intensity in recent years, together with increased competition for land, remind us of the pressing importance of this problem. In addition, climate change scenarios indicate an increasing vulnerability to aridity across, but not limited to, southern and central Europe.

Among the conclusions of the European Court of Auditors (ECA) Special Report 33/2018 was the need to establish a methodology and relevant indicators to assess the extent of land degradation and desertification in the EU. To achieve this goal, the ECA report recommended that the Commission should collate and analyse relevant data on land degradation while building on the existing UNCCD indicator framework for SDG 15.3.1 “proportion of land that is degraded over total land area” (this is also referred as the Strategic Objective 1 in the UNCCD Strategic Framework 2018-2030 ). The outcome of the methodology should be regularly presented in a clear and user-friendly way for public use in the form of interactive maps. The ECA report made no recommendation regarding formal reporting obligations.