How Spain is Turning it’s Deserts into a Farmland Oasis Spain is home to The Tabernas Desert, known as mainland Europe's only desert. Shockingly scientific research suggests that Spain is set to become completely desertified in the next 80 years, right now 31.5% of Spain is already affected by desertification and 18% is at high risk of becoming irreversibly desert. This is due to the increase in temperatures, droughts, and less precipitation has made southern Europe vulnerable to problems such as “lower food production, soil infertility, decreases in the land’s natural resilience, and reduced water quality” as the European Court of Auditors (ECA) has pointed out in its report "Combating desertification in the EU." The Iberian peninsular was once covered in ancient oak forests, and over the last centuries was completely deforested for timber use and overgrazing livestock. Currently 16 million hectares of land is used for Intensive industrial agriculture which is rapidly eroding the soil further. However Spain has been making some remarkable restoration developments turning large areas suffering from desertification into fertile land. This transformation is a major accomplishment considering Spain’s semi arid regions only receive 11 inches of rainfall per year. We are going to tell you how and why Spain is turning its deserts into bio-diverse ecosystems and fertile farmlands In this episode of our Greening the Desert Series we will be exploring one of Spain’s many remarkable restoration projects to re-green the desert and turn it back into fertile land. We will start of by visiting one of the most drastically effected areas in the north eastern coastal region of Spain called Catalonia. Where Coastal forests and farmlands are affected by saltwater intrusion and soil salinization due to sea levels rising, storms, tides, droughts, and water resources management. Salinization of soil negatively impacts plant development and induces land degradation, turning these already semi arid regions into deserts. The increased amount of soil salination is exasperated by the loss of the dune habitat which acts as a natural barrier between the land and the sea. The sand dunes of coastal Spain having been declining since the 1970s and accelerated in recent decades due to over tourism. Local wildlife has suffered, sea turtles and birds have declined with many species of plants endangered or have disappeared all together. In 2003 the government started a restoration of the dunes project near Barcelona airport and by 2019 it has expanded its initiative countrywide by using a very simple and cost effective technique. A report on the Assessment of the Restoration of the Dunes was published by Antoni Calafatlast last year, which have shown a considerable improved in recent years and I have seen first hand how it has helped to restore coastal forests and farmlands since. ________________________ 🔔 SUBSCRIBE with Bell notification ON 🌿 For Latest updates on sustainability, permaculture & alternative living: JOIN our FREE Telegram Channel Here: https://t.me/leafoflifefilms JOIN our FREE Mail List Here: https://mailchi.mp/d3585f2f13d1/leafoflife ✍ ENQUIRES contact: leafoflifefilms@gmail.com _________________________ 💚 SUPPORT THE CHANNEL Help us achieve our goals to regenerate the earth: https://www.patreon.com/leafoflifefilms Donations through paypal to keep this channel alive: leafoflifemedia@gmail.com _________________________ 🏕 Watch more videos in our GREENING THE DESERT SERIES:    • Greening The Desert Projects   _________________________ This video is for education and research purposes If you are the owner of any of the images please contact us an we can credit or remove the image, THANK YOU FAIR USE COPYRIGHT NOTICE The Copyright Laws of the United States recognizes a “fair use” of copyrighted content. Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act states: “NOTWITHSTANDING THE PROVISIONS OF SECTIONS 106 AND 106A, THE FAIR USE OF A COPYRIGHTED WORK, INCLUDING SUCH USE BY REPRODUCTION IN COPIES OR PHONORECORDS OR BY ANY OTHER MEANS SPECIFIED BY THAT SECTION, FOR PURPOSES SUCH AS CRITICISM, COMMENT, NEWS REPORTING, TEACHING (INCLUDING MULTIPLE COPIES FOR CLASSROOM USE), SCHOLARSHIP, OR RESEARCH, IS NOT AN INFRINGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT.” THIS VIDEO AND OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL IN GENERAL MAY CONTAIN CERTAIN COPYRIGHTED WORKS THAT WERE NOT SPECIFICALLY AUTHORIZED TO BE USED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER(S), BUT WHICH WE BELIEVE IN GOOD FAITH ARE PROTECTED BY FEDERAL LAW AND THE FAIR USE DOCTRINE FOR ONE OR MORE OF THE REASONS NOTED ABOVE. IF YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC CONCERNS ABOUT THIS VIDEO OR OUR POSITION ON THE FAIR USE DEFENSE, PLEASE CONTACT US BY SENDING AN EMAIL SO WE CAN DISCUSS AMICABLY. THANK YOU. #regenerativeagriculture #greeningthedesert