To demonstrate the practical utility in specific cases, of the
scientific investigations of MEDALUS I through integrated
application of desertification research directly into regional
problem solving at local, catchment and regional level, and to
build on the practical experiences of government and commercial
agencies, through the interfacing of science and policy, in
mitigating the effects of desertification in the specific
regions.


The Project will examine the desertification problem in three
areas: at the local level in the Agri valley in Basilicata, at
the medium catchment level in the Guadalentin valley in
south-east Spain, and at the regional level in the Abruzzo,
eastern Italy.

Plans for desertification mitigation will be developed involving
the following steps:

Assembly of climatic, geological, soils and topographic
information from existing sources, including satellite imagery
and the creation of Geographical Information Systems for the
three areas.

Field data collection for model calibration and ground truthing,
especially of dynamic soil and vegetation cover properties.

Establishment of the contemporary and historical land use
patterns and practices in relation to local, regional, national
and Community policy and in relation to climatic hazards and
basic physiographic conditions.

The identification and mapping of desertification response units
at the three scales, through field and satellite mapping of
desertification indicators.

Implementation of physical models developed under Project 1 of
MEDALUS II to determine, under various climatic scenarios, the
risks of further deterioration in the DRUs and the identification
of critical areas, the erosion and runoff hazards as they vary
spatially, seasonally and through time, and the likely impact on
water resources.

Assessment of the appropriate measures to mitigate existing and
predicted impacts on land use, water resources and physical
environmental hazards (including water quality) through the
development of complex systems models of land-use and water
resource allocation for the selected areas.