Greece faces desertification in 36% of territory

A new report from the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) reveals that desertification is affecting 36% of Greece's territory. The phenomenon, which involves the degradation of land into arid and semi-arid regions, is identified as a distinct threat from drought and water scarcity.

According to the report, which includes contributions from JRC senior scientist Dr. Panos Panagos, approximately 73% of Greece is experiencing some form of land degradation. This process is driven by both climatic variations and human activities, leading to a loss of soil productivity and the inability of the land to support crops or sustain human life.

The JRC is proposing a new methodology to record degraded soils and areas at risk of desertification. This approach uses scientific indicators such as declining soil health, changes in land cover (including forests and meadows), and overall productivity to officially classify land as degraded.