Identifying On-Site and Off-Site Drivers of Land Degradation in Advanced Economies: A Spatial Approach for Italy

Emma Bruno, Rosanna Salvia, Giovanni Quaranta, Pavel Cudlin, Gennaro Punzo () and Luca Salvati
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Emma Bruno: University of Naples Parthenope
Rosanna Salvia: University of Basilicata
Giovanni Quaranta: University of Basilicata
Pavel Cudlin: Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences
Gennaro Punzo: University of Naples Parthenope
Luca Salvati: Sapienza University of Rome

Environmental & Resource Economics, 2024, vol. 87, issue 9, No 8, 2429-2453

Abstract: Abstract Land degradation is a global issue with severe implications for local sustainability, regional development, and resilience of socio-environmental systems. Curbing land degradation has become a priority in international strategies and sustainable development goals. The present study examines land vulnerability to degradation and its influencing factors in Italian provinces over four decades (1970–2010). After a comprehensive scrutiny of the best regression strategy based on econometric tests, spatial effects were modelled with the Spatially Autoregressive model run cross-section (1970, 1990, 2010), comparing the results of different weighting matrices representative of short-haul, medium-haul, and long-haul spatial interactions. Multiple (socioeconomic) drivers of land degradation were identified and classified according to their spatial effects. The results highlight the role of spatial interactions in shaping territorial models of land vulnerability to degradation, distinguishing on-site and off-site impacts. These outcomes emphasize the importance of comprehensive approaches that address a place-specific ensemble of socioeconomic drivers in tackling land degradation. A combination of local, regional, and national actions revealed more appropriate to curb unsustainable land practices in Mediterranean economies.

Keywords: Desertification risk; Indicators; Socioeconomic drivers; Spatial analysis; Mediterranean Europe (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1007/s10640-024-00888-5

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