1. 1 LAWINE Land degradation by wind erosion – an integrated assessment approach to European soils Clemens Mensink Vito Centre for Remote Sensing and Atmospheric Processes Boeretang 200, B-2400 Mol, Belgium

2. 2 LAWINE What is the problem ?

3. 3 Photo: D. Goossens

4. 4 LAWINE Wind erosion

5. 5 LAWINE Wind erosion and Tillage practises

6. 6 Photo: M. Riksen

7. 7 LAWINE Wind erosion and Tillage practises cause  Soil loss

8. 8 LAWINE Wind erosion and Tillage practises cause  Soil loss  Land degradation

9. 9 LAWINE Wind erosion and Tillage practises cause  Soil loss  Land degradation  Declining fertility

10. 10 Photo: M. Riksen

11. 11 Photo: M. Riksen One million hectares in Europe…

12. 12 Photo: M. Riksen One million hectares in Europe… suffer from wind erosion COM(2002)179

13. 13 LAWINE “Soil loss and declining fertility are indicated as a main threat to sustainable development as it erodes the viability of agricultural land.” COM(2001)264

14. 14 LAWINE What is our response ?

15. 15 LAWINE EC: “Towards a strategy for soil protection”

16. 16 LAWINE LAWINE: We want to develop an integrated assessment approach to understand, monitor and predict the impact of wind erosion and tillage practises on land degradation

17. 17 LAWINE Integrated assessment:  A reflective and iterative participatory process that links knowledge (science) and actions (policy) regarding complex issues

18. 18 LAWINE Integrated assessment:  A reflective and iterative participatory process that links knowledge (science) and actions (policy) regarding complex issues  Interdisciplinary process of combining, interpreting and communicating knowledge from diverse scientific disciplines in such a way that the whole cause-effect chain of a problem can be evaluated from a synoptic perspective (Encyclopedia of Global Environmental Change, T. Munn, 2002)

19. 19 LAWINE Integrated assessment:  combine existing scientific and multi- disciplinary excellence

20. 20 LAWINE Integrated assessment:  combine existing scientific and multi- disciplinary excellence  better response to complex aspects of land degradation (monitoring systems, data networks)

21. 21 LAWINE Integrated assessment:  combine existing scientific and multi- disciplinary excellence  better response to complex aspects of land degradation (monitoring systems, data networks)  follow DPSIR assessment line

22. 22 LAWINE Integrated assessment:  combine existing scientific and multi- disciplinary excellence  better response to complex aspects of land degradation (monitoring systems, data networks)  follow DPSIR assessment line  support long-term EU soil policy

23. 23 LAWINE Objectives:  understand  monitor  predict the impact of soil particle emissions on land degradation and vulnerability of managed, semi-natural and natural ecosystems in Europe, in the context of land use climate change

24. 24 LAWINE Expected results:  Products (risk maps, scenario maps, assessments)  Services (on-line prediction, model system for scenario calculations)  New knowledge on wind-soil interactions and its response to global change and changes in human activities  Policy support

25. 25 Photo: W. Schäfer

26. 26 Photo: W. Schäfer What are the key actions ?

27. 27 Photo: W. Schäfer 1. Observe

28. 28 Photo: W. Schäfer 1. Observe 2. Diagnose

29. 29 Photo: W. Schäfer 1. Observe 2. Diagnose 3. Model

30. 30 Photo: W. Schäfer 1. Observe 2. Diagnose 3. Model 4. Verify

31. 31 Photo: W. Schäfer 1. Observe 2. Diagnose 3. Model 4. Verify 5. Predict

32. 32 Photo: W. Schäfer 1. Observe 2. Diagnose 3. Model 4. Verify 5. Predict 6. Asses

33. 33 Photo: W. Schäfer 1. Observe 2. Diagnose 3. Model 4. Verify 5. Predict 6. Asses 7. Contribute

34. 34 LAWINE Critical mass:  Multidisciplinary (scientific) consortium:  Soil scientists  Meteorologists  Agricultural specialist  Geomorphologists  Environmental and social scientists  Climate experts  Policy makers  Advisory board of (policy) stakeholders

35. 35 Photo: M. Riksen Concluding remarks…

36. 36 Photo: M. Riksen “Soil loss and declining fertility are indicated as a main threat to sustainable development as it erodes the viability of agricultural land.” COM(2001)264

37. 37 Photo: M. Riksen “Soil loss and declining fertility are indicated as a main threat to sustainable development as it erodes the viability of agricultural land.” COM(2001)264 LAWINE wants to develop an integrated assessment approach to understand, monitor and predict the impact of wind erosion and tillage practises on land degradation

38. 38 Photo: M. Riksen Thank you for your atttention !