Sustainable management systems to prevent and adaptat to desertification: Case Studies from the LIFE Desert Adapt project

Abstract

Around 40% of the ice-free terrestrial surface is under desertification risk, and the Mediterranean is one of the most sensible regions. Concomitantly, most areas occupied by agriculture suffer from lack of organic matter in the soil, as well as very low tree cover, making them more vulnerable to climate change. The LIFE (Desert Adapt) project aims to develop a desert adaptation model to enhance resistence and resilience of farms, both public and private, to desertification by appliyng an integrative sustainable land management in Italy, Spain and Portugal. In Italy three sites in Sicily are involved, two private areas in Caltanissetta and Catagirone and the municiaplity of Lampedusa.The model comprehends the assignement of functions and the application of adaptation measures, in order to diversify the production, increase soil organic matter, enhance biodiversity and guarantee a solid economical output, appliyng concepts of agroecology and agroforestry. All farms in the project are increasing the woody cover, buth as woody crops, hedgerows and forest/machis patches, appliyng no-tillage or conservative tillage, increasing soil cover throug perennial crops and mulching, as well as using prunning residuals and organic compost to increase organic matter in the soil. Desertification is mentioned in economical mehcanisms such as the Rural development Plan and might be a central point in the European Green Deal, but still few effective actions are being implemented in the field, and the LIFE project is creating models that can be replicated by every kind of farmer.