THE DESERTIFICATION of land in Portugal has reached 36 per cent, according to the environmental association, Quercus.
This puts the country among the three worst in Europe. According to satellite images taken by the DesertWatch project by the European Space Agency, Portugal, Italy and Turkey are hardest hit by soil degradation.
Due to the worsening of the situation, ESA has warned of the loss of productivity of forest areas in Portugal. The forest represents exports worth 2,9 million Euros.
According to Paula Silva, a spokesperson for Quercus, zones with a high area of erosion in Portugal amounted to 11% in 1999. This reached 28% in 2004 and is 36% today.
However, some alternative studies estimate that 43% of Portugal is suffering from desertification, compared with 41% in Spain.
DesertWatch indicates the concelhos of Idanha-a-Nova, Penamacor, Mação and the eastern Algarve are areas needing urgent intervention.
The inner Alentejo and the North East are other areas at risk.
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