Developing a Synthetic Index of Land Vulnerability to Drought and Desertification |
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Authors: | LUCA SALVATI MARCO ZITTI TOMASO CECCARELLI LUIGI PERINI |
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Institution: | Council for Research in Agriculture – Unit for Climatology and Meteorology Applied to Agriculture (CRA-CMA), Via del Caravita 7a, I–00186 Rome, Italy. |
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Abstract: | This paper develops an index of the vulnerability of land to drought and desertification (LVI) for Italy. The index takes into account changes in climate, land use, vegetation cover, soil properties, and population during the period 1990–2000. The LVI was built up through a multivariate approach aimed at assessing the importance of the various indicators included in the synthetic index. Increasing land vulnerability was observed during this time, especially in dry areas of the southern regions. This is interpreted as a consequence of land management practices, agricultural intensification, population pressure, and bio-physical degradation. The LVI can be used in an integrated, decision-support system to evaluate the impact of mitigation policies in rural environments. |
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Keywords: | drought desertification risk land vulnerability composite index LVI Italy |
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