An evaluation of the environmental sensitivity to land degradation in Murcia Region, SE Spain

Abstract

An assessment of the sensitivity to land degradation was carried out in the Murcia Region (SE Spain) by means of a modelling approach developed by the European Commission funded MEDALUS project (Mediterranean Desertification and Land Use). These areas are identified according to ESA index (Environmental Sensitive Areas index) that incorporates data on environmental quality (climate, vegetation, soil) together with management data. The obtained results were integrated into a Geographic Information System (GIS), and maps of environmental sensitivity to degradation were created. The proposed methodology allows to identify different degrees of vulnerability to land degradation, and also to analyse specific factors affecting desertification. Results showed that the study area is mostly located in the critical desertification class. Based on the results, almost all the land is included in high-critical class (C3), showing that the whole region is at high desertification risk