Landscapes in many Mediterranean areas suggest that the interaction between climate, topography, soil characteristics and human activities has already led to short- and mid-term unsustainability. Soil and water constitute strategical environmental resources for Mediterranean countries due to its topography and to the effects of floods and droughts taking place periodically. Many countries of the region have developed their own soil and water conservation (SWC) policies to preserve these natural resources while maintaining or increasing agricultural productivity. Today, traditional SWC practices cohabit with more recent SWC approaches and it is still difficult to have an overview of the various techniques experimented with their degree of success. Moreover, the prospect of climate change puts a new interest in new SWC measures for adaptation to future drier climate.
In this context, this session will focus on improvements and advancements about SWC, in particular on studies related to
i) hydrological and sediment dynamics of the Mediterranean regions to have a better understanding of the patterns of those regions;
ii) evaluations of the soil and water conservation practices applied in the Mediterranean regions (including both on- and off-site effects and also socio-economics issues);
iii) spatial distribution of water and sediments sources and pathways so that the best management practice (BMPs) and/or conservation practices can be better implemented;
iv) modelling studies, approaches and tools that look for evaluating sustainable management strategies.