University of Gloucestershire experts are taking part in major new international research on combatting the escalating global threat of desertification on populations and the environment.

Desertification, which is spreading across large areas of southern Europe and North Africa, is a process where fertile land becomes arid and unproductive due to unsustainable land management practices and climate change.

To address this critical issue, the university has joined an ambitious five-year project, TERRASAFE, which involves researchers from 11 European countries and one North African country, who will work together to combat desertification in rural areas.

TERRASAFE will focus on five rural pilot areas facing desertification - Italy, Cyprus, Spain, Romania and Tunisia. These regions face significant challenges, such as outmigration, soil erosion, declining vegetation and water shortages, which threaten the livelihoods of local communities.

Experts from the Countryside and Community Research Institute (CCRI) based at the university will use their knowledge of social sciences to increase their understanding of desertification issues.

Researchers will also promote the long-term use and widespread adoption of TERRASAFE-certified innovations for combatting desertification.

This will be achieved through engaging relevant stakeholders in co-design and co-creation, as well as facilitating effective and efficient knowledge exchange with other desertification projects, initiatives and networks.

Dr Jane Mills, associate professor in agri-environmental behaviours, said: "By bringing together academics, field scientists and innovative companies, and closely involving local communities, we aim to implement practical solutions tailored to the unique needs and challenges of each region.

"We will work hand-in-hand with local populations to test and evaluate a range of nature-based, technical and social solutions. Our goal is to enhance the resilience of these communities, enabling them to combat desertification in a manner that is economically, socially and environmentally sustainable."

TERRASAFE is coordinated by Dr Jacob Keizer of the University of Aveiro in Portugal. The project, which has received approximately seven million Euros in funding, is co-financed by the European Union under the Horizon Europe Framework Programme.

Image credit: Christos Zoumides