How Spain is Turning it's Deserts into a Farmland Oasis - GREENING THE DESERT PROJECT

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.

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#regenerativeagriculture
#greeningthedesert

[LeafofLifeWorld]

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[Goggles]

As a Spanish resident living in the Granada region of Andalucía for 5 years, and also practicing permaculture on an acre of land, I can agree wholeheartedly with these comments. We are fortunate enough to live in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada & right at the edge of the Sierra de Lujar. The acequias (traditional mooreish built waterways) span the entire area. This method has been criticised due to the amount of water used as opposed to a drip system, yet at the same time, the water thoroughly wets the landscape making it more humid to support life. You can see and feel the difference. Something that the Spanish campesinos do is to plough their land every spring (right now actually). This, I find strange, because all the trees in your plot of land are connected with a mychirrozal network of roots that work in a symbiotic relationship with your tree's roots. When they plough, they cut down all other plants, weeds, wild herbs, wild flowers like poppies, etc. This at perfectly the wrong time for all the pollinators like bees that rely on a wide range of plants for a healthy life. Not just the olive nectar or pollen that sometimes is the only thing available for miles around. Certainly in the Jaen province this can be seen. Intensive monocrop farming is destroying the land as plant diversity brings equilibrium to nature. All in balance. Thats why they have to use herbicides in increasing quantities. The land is sick! On our land we have 132 trees with 46 different varieties. We chip all cuttings creating a thick mulch that eventually becomes soil. We are building soil this way instead of creating soil erosion by having bare soil. The primary de-composers break the mulch down and the worms take it down, and create tunnels that allow air, water and nutrients to enter which support plant life. The mulch retains the moisture in the soil for much longer and therefore the surrounding air is more humid. Best of all, we create a wonderful environment for many insects, birds, and animals like the common chameleon of which I've seen 3 in our garden. One lives in a avocado tree, one in a lemon tree and another in a orange tree. Diversity is what the world needs.

[gopraytoyourgodshit]

Saying that Spain share similar climates and resuming them in Mediterranean is a wrong statement. From north to south and east to west you can find several different climates. I live in the Atlantic coast of the country and our climate is pretty much different from the plateu of the interior or the south coast. Even in my autonomous region we have 4 climates.

[theoldleafybeard]

As a Spanish citizen living in a rural area and deeply immersed into permaculture, I have to say a few things:

1) Spain's dessertification is very probably not caused by lack of rain, higher temperatures or other external factors. These might contribute, but...
The agriculture model we've got is the major cause of this dramatic process. If you take a look at Spain's main areas in Maps, you can find out what's going on: natural areas stay more or less green, while almost every land patch from Madrid to the south that's not in a mountain is sand-coloured. These are mainly olive, almong and cereal fields that involve an obsessive process of continuous plowing and abuse of artificial fertilizers and aggressive pesticides.
This allows not any biodiversity in our lands (no little plants nor other kind of trees), a biodiversity needed to retain soil richness and prevent erosion, in addition to having animals that would naturally predate pests.
NASA and others have seen that in semi-arid areas (that have no mulch to retain humidity either, of course), this lack of a proper soil makes the environment unable to retain humidity, and thus making the atmosphere be drier, having less rain.
So, changing the production model grand-scale would detain erosion, retain humidity, keep pests away, lower the temperatures again and make it rain more.

2) Altough there are some programs to regreen certain areas, the vast majority of our land keeps the same year after year.
Some of us who see further than 1 year ahead and ahead of solely economic profit are trying to generate a change.
Altough many farmers (maybe due to ignorance and lack of sensibility) and most politicians (God knows what for) do nothing or almost nothing to stop this process.
A major change in our production models is needed, at the large scale and very urgently.
If any of you has contact(s) (associations, politicians, businesses...) that could promote this so much needed change in Spain, please do intervene. There's too much into play.

[XesFiz]

Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque Country have oceanic climate, extremely rainy and their landscape is totally green.

[zollieuncle]

There is a correlation between precipitation rate and loss of forest and green foliage. However, it is proven that the cause and effect is in reverse order to what is tought in schools: the coastal forest helps increasing precipitation and triggers a positive feedback cycle. More precipitation resulting in more green foliage which in return pulls in more humid air from above the sea. It is only not known or ignired by profit hungry industries interested in harvesting all the forests at no matter what it costs to our future.

[michaelbeelby]

I live on the Outer Banks of North of these same 'dune preservation', as well as dune 'restoration' and beach replenishment projects have had excellent results. We didn't face the 'desertification' as much as we faced the OBX simply washing away and ending up a beach somewhere else. These stabilization, rehabilitation and preservation projects have helped to show that we can live alongside the natural forces....We just need to help them and live within their limits instead of 'master' and 'dominate' them.
Especially here it is easy to see where homes were built 70 years ago, versus seas level rise and dune erosion. Some homes that were 'waterfront' 50 years ago, with a substantial beach and gap between the beach road, are now out IN the water and the road is now the closest to the beach. Hopefully projects like mentioned in this video and those I mentioned will help to at least halt this. I have no delusions that it can be reversed (barring a nearly superhuman effort and billions in funding)

[gonzalobelloso]

As a Spaniard I tell you that this is partly true, the Mediterranean area is desertifying at full speed, Albacete and Ciudad Real lose green areas year after year

[njm]

Amazing. Pleasantly surprised that this is happening in Spain. The Mediterranean coast was so brutally overdeveloped in the 1980's

[Reyajh]

Look at all that diversity reemerging and spreading around... Simply amazing!!! Thanks for sharing this! So inspiring!! This kind of stuff needs to spread around the internet... People need to see. -Thanks!

[Nembula]

There are many new and unique ways to rejuvenate the land. There is a man in Southern Africa using grazing methods based on mother nature's system if running many animals briefly over the land and then resting it like wildebeests 5. He is bringing back desert to cropland in just two or three years. Super work now being used in Africa, South America and the southern USA

[suginami]

I’m so happy to see the superb effect of permaculture. Such a joy to see re greening and flowers and plants and wildlife.

[davideseganti]

Thanks for the video. Most of Italy's coastal area is suffering in the same way, but to my knowledge, there still aren't similar initiatives. You're right, money speaks louder than nature.

[em]

This is so well put together and explained really well. Thank you! Keep up your beautiful work. The world has such diversity, and functioned in it's own way. I am on a small cattle farm in Australia (NOT INDUSTRIALISED! ) and use all the regenerative practices I can. The soil cycles and systems you talk about are a beautiful thing! Things are building back after a century of poor use and a nasty 2019 drought.

I love that you point out all the different ways nature works out how to thrive. We here in Australia are seeminly taught that if it isn't like some french field, forrest and alp, there is something wrong with it.

The catch is to add humans into the mix, they have to be low impact...I mean really really low. Chemicals, vehicles, dirt biking and generally walking all over everything, not realising how many animal, insect, bird homes and plants are being impacted.

The craziest things I see out in nature in Australia, which has such a fragile system, is the 4WDing ...and throwing chemicals around thinking they just dissappear into the environment.
I once saw a few European girls, campervaning in a beauitul iscolated, well treed beachside nature reserve shampooing and conditioning their hair with the only fresh water, into the only freshwater open drain that the areas birds and animals would use. The products were like smelly bubble baths. The water was ruined for a long time.
The ignorance and lack of consideration the general human population has makes it mostly impossible to have them mix with nature.

The great thing in Australia is that you can just say everywhere is full snakes and spiders and people stay a bit clearer.

Thank you again for your efforts, I believe SERIOUS regreening and correct regeneration of all land is the only option for carbon drawdown. Our only hope.

[ricerikson]

long rooted native grasses have made an amazing improvement of the natural water retention of the soil in some locations in Texas

[kylejj]

I love spain and its deserts. Spain is full of contrast. You can go from a beautiful forrest down into a hot desert valley within minutes. The vegetation changes dasticaly every few kilometres and thats what I love. The rural areas are verry remote, lots of beautiful nature. A Country much bigger than Germany and only the half in population which is living like 80% or so in big cities or directly on the cost makes Spain to the Wild West of Europe. Its unique.

[robertcalamusso]

We love Spain and it’s People

Wishing you the best of luck.

🇺🇸☮️🇪🇸

[wisecanadianwoman]

In a world that sometimes seems hopelss when it comes to the environment, videos like this and the ones you are producing not only bring hope, but inspiration to do more. Thank you 💚

[jumperpence]

This has made my day!
Great to hear some good news.
I love everything about Spain, but the intensive farming that can be seen from the plane is quite depressing.
The poly tunnels are a disgrace, but the demand for cheap, unseasonable food (especially in the UK) is to blame.

[edwardgill]

Grazing ruminant animals in a targeted grazing schedule will also help immensely with greening Spain's deserts. There is a man named Alan Savory in Zimbabwe that is using cattle to do exactly that. He has recovered 10s of thousands of hectares across the decades from the desert.