Overview
- The atlas reports land degradation across 43.35% of Spain and desertification affecting 60.94% of arid zones, totaling 206,203 km².
- Researchers used a Random Forest approach that integrates groundwater status, wetlands, land condition and SDG indicators, yielding higher estimates than prior ~20% figures.
- The work highlights climate change and unsustainable resource use as key drivers, with impacts including soil fertility loss, vegetation retreat, increased wildfire risk and reduced water availability.
- Regional findings show extreme aridity shares in Murcia (99.8%), Canary Islands (92.7%), Castilla‑La Mancha (90.5%), Balearic Islands (85.4%) and the Valencian Community (84.4%), while Cantabria, Galicia and Asturias register no arid area.
- The project was presented in Alicante by coordinators Jorge Olcina and Jaime Martínez Valderrama, produced by scientists from universities and CSIC centers, and funded via Fundación Biodiversidad under Spain’s PRTR/NextGenerationEU framework; experts recommend wastewater reuse, network loss reduction, desalination and transfers to ease aquifer stress.