Land Degradation in Greece

Abstract

This chapter represents the status of land degradation in Greece. As everywhere in the Mediterranean region, processes such as climatic change, extreme climatic events, and human actions accelerate land degradation and desertification and are reflected by the reduction of the capacity of the land to maintain its economic, ecological and productive functions. The main land degradation processes operating in the soil, water and biosphere system, cause soil degradation, water scarcity and decline of biodiversity. Greek soils are degradated by water and wind erosion, soil organic matter reduction, salinization, alkalization, fertility depletion, compaction, crusting, acidification, leaching, soil pollution and contamination, floods, landslides and sealing. Water scarcity and quality deterioration is exacerbated through continuing overexploitation of surface and ground water, poor management practices, pollution from point and diffuse sources and salinization through seawater intrusion. Land use change, wild fires, overgrazing, intensification of agriculture, and monoculture affect population dynamics and biodiversity while accelerating soil and water degradation processes and greenhouse gases emissions. The National Action Plan to Combat Desertification, the National Water Management plan, the Code of Good Agricultural Practices and the Soil Thematic Strategy in combination with international scientific cooperation and the creation of an harmonized monitoring system should provide to all stakeholders, especially to policy makers, the necessary knowledge, structure and measures to mitigate land degradation.