TE 2025 Project

Land degradation and desertification have become major threats to European agro-ecological productivity. There is, however, a knowledge gap with regard to the current state of lands sensitive (susceptible) to degradation and desertification continentally, which can be investigated via complex sensitivity models that can be applied in Europe using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and large-scale geospatial data. In this context, the project aims to conduct an in-depth analysis of European lands highly susceptible to degradation and desertification, and to explore the possibility to harness their incident solar energy resources, starting from the hypothesis that these critical lands, with poor agro-ecological productivity, can be a viable solution for the transcontinental development of photovoltaic (PV) energy systems. Therefore, this project will provide to various European users (policymakers and stakeholders) a complex and integrative scientific framework for lands highly exposed to degradation and desertification in Europe, and for their PV electricity resources that are available across 40 continental countries. The final results will be valuable, by providing a complex informational support to various European policies or agricultural and industrial stakeholders who are active in land management and solar power economic sector.