Desertification and land degradation in the European Mediterranean

The European Commission, DG XII, has published "Desertification and land degradation in the European Mediterranean" as part of the EPOCH programme on climatology and natural hazards. The publication addresses the following topics: - Concepts and definitions of desertification...

The European Commission, DG XII, has published "Desertification and land degradation in the European Mediterranean" as part of the EPOCH programme on climatology and natural hazards.

The publication addresses the following topics:
- Concepts and definitions of desertification;
- Desertification and land degradation in a European context;
- The sources of land degradation;
- A complex systems approach to desertification and land degradation;
- Managing desertification;
- Policy implications.

The aim of this publication is to highlight the importance of desertification for the European Community as a major environmental problem in the Mediterranean, in terms of the extent of the area affected as well as the interdisciplinary approach that is required in dealing with it.