A multidisciplinary research and development programme on the roleand the place of the mountains in the desertification of the Mediterranean regions

Objective

To understand the desertification process in the Mediterranean
mountains, under various natural and human conditions, and to
deliver guidelines for a rational management of such areas,
including prevention, monitoring and appropriate policies for
sustainable development.


The project will be a combination of local-scale and regional-
scale investigations. The general technical approach is based on
a progressive integration of parallel investigations.

At the local-scale: a series of case studies in selected
mountainous pilot-zones of different countries (Greece, Italy,
France, Spain), in order to study the phenomenon, identify
criteria, and to develop guidelines at a local-scale, but also
give evidence of the diversity, the similarities and
dissimilarities among the study areas.

At the regional scale: a limited number of general
investigations, in order to include the local case-studies in a
consistent overview, extrapolate findings, as well as possible
application and recommendations (from the local) to the
regional-scale.

The methodological frame common to all pilot-zones includes: 1)
the integration of three major disciplinary fields, relation to
social sciences, terrestrial and aquatic ecology, 2) the choice
of
test-areas, within the range of diversity offered by each pilot-
zone, 3) the quantification and mapping of as much as possible
relevant data, from the various disciplines, and their
compilation into GIS, 4) the implementation of a
multi-disciplinary
work plan through a succession of four major stages: extraction
of available knowledge from existing records, completion of this
information with questionnaires and field campaigns, focusing
detailed investigation from various disciplines on the selected
test-areas, multi-varied analyses of data, translation of results
into potential indices of desertification, scenarios and
conceptual models of the desertification processes.

Methodology at the regional-scale will consist in a series of
investigations ranging from sensitivity studies to climate
change, through the use of remote sensing techniques and macro-
economic scenarios, to historical botanical reviews .

Integration of local case-studies into a regional dimension will
concern syntheses and comparative studies between the different
pilot-zones and the integration of data and findings from the
local-scale into the various regional approaches.

Fields of science

• natural sciences › biological sciences › ecology
• engineering and technology › environmental engineering › remote sensing
• natural sciences › earth and related environmental sciences › atmospheric sciences › climatology › climatic changes
• social sciences

Programme(s)

• FP3-ENV 1C - Specific research and technological development programme (EEC) in the field of the environment, 1990-1994

Topic(s)

• 0403 - Desertification in the Mediterranean area

Call for proposal

Data not available

Funding Scheme

CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Coordinator

International Centre for Alpine Environments

Address

Riventosa
20250 Corte
France

Participants (7)

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Greece

Address

University Campus
54006 Thessaloniki

Casa Pastureccia Riventosa

France

Address

20250 Corte

Centre d'Activités Régionales du Planbleu

France

Address

Place Sophie Lafitte Sophia Antipolis
06560 Valbonne

Géographie Spatiale Appliquée au Contrôle de l'Environnement

France

Address

Savoie Technolac
73374 Le Bourget-du-lac

UNIVERSIDAD DE SEVILLA

Spain

Address

1095,avda. Reina Mercedes, 6
41080 Sevilla

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DELLA BASILICATA

Italy

Address

Via Nazario Sauro 85
85100 Potenza

Università degli Studi della Calabria

Italy

Address

Via Brodolini Centro Rende
87036 Commenda Di Rende Cosenza