Walid Battal
In Spain, agricultural reforestation and agroforestry are major responses to ecosystem regeneration and desertification. This initiative follows the desertification that is currently threatening south-eastern Spain.
The recently implemented Spanish Green Engine project is a perfect example of this. The country hopes to reach about 70,000 hectares of replanted land by 2030. This programme is not only limited to tree planting, but also has an important economic and social aspect, promising to inject new impetus into local ecosystems affected by desertification. In addition, tree planting creates many job opportunities for people living in rural areas. The reintegration of the population into employment has a dual objective: the restoration of the environment and the revitalization of rural communities. The fact is that these territories often face economic decline and rural exodus.
Desertification, which now affects nearly 75% of Spain’s territory according to the UN, can be described as alarming. This phenomenon is exacerbated by climate change and human activities associated with the overexploitation of soils and groundwater. This degradation process is a gradual process that severely affects soils in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas; It leads not only to the deterioration of vegetation, but also to soil erosion. This exposes the livelihoods of local people. The Green Engine project is trying to remedy this by introducing sustainable land management practices, improving natural resources and providing rural communities with greater resilience to environmental challenges.