► Reforest without threatening agriculture
Mihai Enescu (1), doctor and engineer specialized in forestry at the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest (USAMV)
In the south of Oltenia, in Romania, the fight against desertification has become necessary given the speed with which the sands are invading vast stretches of fertile land. Nearly two centuries ago, the authorities had decided to stop the advance of the sand thanks to reforestation with false acacias. Sometimes cataloged as invasive, this species is actually one of the most adapted to the droughts and sandy soils of the region. About 7,000 hectares have already been planted in twenty years, and the results are there: the trees grow quickly and quickly fix the sand, which remains under the litter, that is to say the layer of dead leaves and plant debris. formed by young forests.
But reforestation must not threaten agriculture, from which the local populations live. As such, agroforestry (the association of trees and crops or animals on the same plote, Ed) seems the most suitable, since the production of agricultural crops is higher near forests, so it is a win-win situation. In addition, in this area where lack of irrigation is a problem, afforestation protects agricultural fields from the wind, limiting wind erosion and water evapotranspiration.
► The priority is the best water management
Iulia Puiuproject manager specializing in freshwater at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Romania.
Until the 1960s, Lake Potelu, located in southern Oltenia, near the Danube, covered 14,000 hectares. Under the communist period, it was drained to be transformed into agricultural land. Today, the soil is degraded, it needs to be irrigated. We are currently in discussion with the four surrounding municipalities to propose an ecological reconstruction by recreating part of the lake with water from the river. In addition to being necessary, rethinking land and water management would have the advantage of creating a whole mosaic of activities: ecotourism, agriculture, fish farming, etc.
Such a project has already seen the light of day in Mahmudia, near the Danube delta. While it takes several years to see the effects of reforestation, the benefits of wetlands are almost immediate. They are places of high biodiversity, where species rest and reproduce. In this arid region where sand clouds are a daily occurrence, the presence of more water causes the humidity to rise and makes the sand less easily transported by the wind. More broadly, this could solve irrigation problems in the area and benefit local populations. Because in general, communities that live near wetlands are more prosperous.
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Desertification is gaining ground in Europe
According to the World Atlas of Desertification provided by the Joint Research Center (JCR) of the European Commission, the phenomenon affects 8% of European territory and is tending to worsen.
Southern Europe is the most affected, particularly Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Spain, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia , or about 14 million hectares.