Global summit in Mongolia addresses desertification as Spain leads EU in soil degradation

Representatives from 196 countries have gathered in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, to address global desertification. While the summit is held in Asia, the issue of soil degradation is acutely affecting Europe, particularly Spain.

According to recent data from the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC), more than half of Spain's surface is desertified, making it the most affected country in the European Union, ahead of Cyprus (45%) and Greece (36%). The report indicates that approximately 20 million people, or about 43% of the Spanish population, are negatively impacted by this phenomenon.

Jorge Olcina, a professor at the University of Alicante, noted that while technical work is being done, investment in preventing the effects of desertification remains low. He highlighted that intense wildfires and subsequent rainfall exacerbate soil erosion, a process expected to accelerate due to both climate change and human activity. In the EU, 530,000 square kilometers are already affected, with an additional million square kilometers at high risk.