By By Virginia GROGNOU AFP - Friday, November 9, 10:46
MADRID (AFP) - In the mountains near Valencia on the Mediterranean coast semi-arid Spain, a dozen researchers prepare the country for the risks of desertification, which threatens 15% its territory, and call for awareness.
Precisely Valencia that will be held from November 12 to 17 a summary meeting of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize 2007 .
"Between 14% and 15% of the area of English territory is at high risk to very high desert," said Juan Sanchez, department head of the Research Centre on Desertification (CIDE) in Valencia.
This risk relates primarily to the Canary Islands, where 57% of territory is threatened, and two regions in the east, Valencia (29% of the area at risk) and Murcia (37%).
According to the UN, 6% of the size of Spain, the most arid country in Europe, is already degraded irreversibly.
Greenpeace believes that Spain "has entered a clear Africanization of its climate.
most industrialized countries "believe that desertification does that Africa, Asia or Latin America, but we are also exposed," said Juan Sanchez, who points to the increasing degradation of soil caused by " erosion, salinization, paving and pollution ".
In the experimental center located 20 kilometers from Valencia, a dozen researchers have been studying since 1996 the causes of desertification in an attempt to slow its advance.
These experts analyze live the soil erosion in this region, watered every autumn rains concentrated on three or four days and almost all victims of devastating fires summers.
"If we continue to destroy forests, if the fire caused or not and salinization of soils continues, much of the soil in the area could be degraded within 40 years, "warned Juan Sanchez.
Climate Change," in many ways related to desertification, "is also an issue to consider, he says.
" By 25 or 50 years if we do not slow down the process of climate change, temperatures will rise, torrential rains will be more concentrated and thus increase the erosion.
Hence the importance an "awareness" of the population and authorities as human activities, urbanization, intensive agriculture, have a large share of responsibility for these phenomena.
This requires "real policy of reforestation and forest monitoring, fire prevention and control of water consumption by individuals and farmers," said Juan Sanchez.
should also limit the paving of land and coastal urbanization, mass in Spain, where "it is no longer just decay, but destruction of land, irreversible loss," says it.
Cide researchers who collaborate with the English government to develop a national plan to fight against desertification, judge "Acceptable" amount of funds to this problem in Europe.
But he regretted the "too broad definition" of the term desertification.
"It means both the problems of agriculture and intensive farming can involve developing countries, pollution and country-specific over-industrialization," said the director of Cide Patricio Rodriguez.
That, he says, which "explains in part" that the UN failed to reach agreement on financing the fight against desertification at a conference held in September in Madrid .
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