
-
Canadian firm makes first bid for international seabed mining license
-
Kardashian robbery suspect says heist was one 'too many'
-
'Chilled' Swiatek scrapes into Madrid Open last eight
-
Interconnectivity: the cornerstone of the European electricity network
-
France accuses Russian military intelligence of cyberattacks
-
Multiple challenges await Canada's Carney
-
US consumer confidence hits lowest level since onset of pandemic
-
How climate change turned Sao Paulo's drizzle into a storm
-
Video game rides conclave excitement with cardinal fantasy team
-
Candles and radios in demand in Spain as blackout lessons sink in
-
Boca Juniors sack coach Gago ahead of Club World Cup
-
Trump celebrates tumultuous 100 days in office as support slips
-
Forest face 'biggest games of careers' in Champions League chase: Nuno
-
Stocks waver as investors weigh earnings, car tariff hopes
-
US climate assessment in doubt as Trump dismisses authors
-
W. House slams Amazon over 'hostile' plan to display tariff effect on prices
-
What we know ahead of conclave to elect new pope
-
EU top court rules 'golden passport' schemes are illegal
-
Mounds of waste dumped near Athens's main river: NGO
-
Spain starts probing causes of massive blackout
-
France targets cheap Chinese goods with fee on packages
-
Amnesty accuses Israel of 'live-streamed genocide' in Gaza
-
Japan, Philippines leaders vow to deepen security ties
-
AstraZeneca moves some production to US amid tariff threat
-
Shadman's ton gives Bangladesh lead in 2nd Zimbabwe Test
-
Barca's Yamal: I admire Messi but don't compare myself to him
-
Pfizer profits dip on lower Paxlovid sales
-
French right-wing TV host fans talk of presidential bid
-
Two men in court charged with 'moronic' felling of famed UK tree
-
Amnesty accuses Israel of 'live-streamed genocide' against Gazans
-
Spotify posts record profit in first quarter
-
Sciver-Brunt named as England women's cricket captain
-
GM profits top estimates, but automaker reviewing outlook due to tariffs
-
Stock markets edge up as Trump softens tariff pain for auto firms
-
Pricier trainers? Adidas warns on US tariff impact
-
Spain, Portugal rule out cyberattack for massive blackout
-
Suryavanshi, 14, dubbed India's next superstar after shattering records
-
Power back in Spain, Portugal after massive blackout
-
Pakistan says it shot down Indian drone along Kashmir border
-
Cardinals run the media gauntlet ahead of conclave
-
BP profit drops 70% amid pivot back to oil and gas
-
Iran says fire contained after deadly blast at key port
-
Irish rappers Kneecap deny support for Hamas, Hezbollah
-
Blackout plunges Spain into chaotic night of darkness
-
Convicted cardinal confirms he will sit out conclave
-
Kashmiris fortify bunkers anticipating India-Pakistan crossfire
-
Adidas warns US tariffs to push up prices
-
Markets boosted as Trump softens tariff pain for auto firms
-
Suryavanshi, 14, dubbed 'next superstar' after batting records tumble
-
Australian doubles player Purcell accepts 18-month doping ban

Spain worries over 'lifeless land' amid creeping desertification
Ongoing droughts and an over-exploitation of land for both agriculture and industry have stoked fears in Spain over the creeping spread of "sterile soil" which could devastate Europe's kitchen garden.
"There used to be a holm oak forest here.. but now the land is barren," says Gabriel del Barrio, pointing to a hill where only stunted shrubs remain.
Wearing dusty trainers and with a canvas hat on his head, this specialist in desertification has been worriedly monitoring the daily degradation of the landscape in Almeria, in the southern Andalusia region.
"Spain is not going to be a desert with dunes like in the Sahara, that's morphologically impossible," explains del Barrio, a researcher at EEZA, the experimental centre for research into arid zones.
But desertification, which is characterised by a severe "degradation of the soil" causing it to lose its productive capacity, "is worrying", he says.
In the dock are the usual suspects: global warming, which is driving rising temperatures leading to water evaporation that causes more wildfires, but also human activity, which is the biggest culprit, notably due to intensive farming.
Despite its very dry climate, Almeria has transformed itself into Europe's vegetable garden through its 40,000 hectares of greenhouses -- its "Sea of Plastic" -- which produce thousands of tonnes of tomatoes, peppers, courgettes and cucumbers all year round.
But these vast crop-producing areas are exacerbating the problem by using groundwater and "depleting the aquifers," says del Barrio.
- 'Complicated position' -
Although the situation is extreme, it's not only happening in Almeria.
According to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, 75 percent of Spain's land is battling climatic conditions that could lead to desertification, making it the European nation most threatened by the problem.
"This puts us in a complicated position in which the combination of extreme temperatures, droughts and other factors aggravate the risk of erosion and the loss of soil quality," Spain's Ecology Minister Teresa Ribera warned in June.
According to the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), to which EEZA reports, soil degradation has tripled over the last 10 years, creating a problem which is "irreversible on a human scale".
And that means soils which are unable to retain water or organic matter, that cannot support crops or nourish livestock -- which is a matter of huge concern in a country where agriculture accounts for annual exports of some 60 billion euros ($66 billion).
"Soil erosion is now the main problem for most farmers in Spain," said UPA, which represents small farmers and stockbreeders, warning the situation was "serious" and could have a significant "economic cost".
- Seven years for soil regeneration -
In Andalusia, the situation has prompted some to roll up their sleeves and get down to work.
"We have to act on our own wherever possible... and not give in to fate," says Juan Antonio Merlos, 40, who owns a 100-hectare almond farm in the hills above Velez-Blanco.
Together with a handful of farmers from an association called AlVelAl, Merlos has introduced new "regenerative" practices since taking over his parents' farm three years ago, which has now been certified as organic, in a bid to "halt the soil erosion" in the region.
These farmers now use manure instead of chemical fertilisers, don't use pesticides "which kill insects," limit use of ploughing "which damages the soil" and use plant matter to cover the soil in order to conserve moisture on the rare occasions when it rains.
"This is long-term work" using techniques that have been around for years, says Merlos as he examines a few barley stalks planted under his almond trees.
But that doesn't stop him from being optimistic.
"In theory, you need seven years to see results from regenerative agriculture. But I have already started to notice the difference in the soil and the insects," he told AFP.
As well as urging farmers to adopt new practices, environmental associations are pushing for new ways of farming, by reducing irrigated areas and using crops that consume less water.
"We need to adjust our needs in light of the available water resources to reduce the risk exposure of both people and our productive sectors in a period of scarcity," said the World Wildlife Fund.
By and large, del Barrio agrees.
"We have to find a balance" to ensure food needs without endangering the soil, he said.
"We need to manage the soil in a way that makes it as sustainable as possible" to avoid the spectre of "lifeless" land.
O.Karlsson--AMWN