Policy impact on desertification: stakeholders’ perceptions in southeast Spain

Two related land use change dynamics characterise the Guadalentín basin (southeast Spain) as one of the most severe cases of desertification in Europe: (1) expansion of highly productive irrigated agriculture in the valley, and (2) intense contemporary changes in the surrounding impoverished dry lands. On the basis of documented information, we trace the effects of past policies on these dynamics, illustrating such role with the results of 25 in-depth interviews on the issue with relevant stakeholders in the area. In line with relevant related research in other parts of the Mediterranean, our conclusion is that implemented policies have overemphasised the economic dimensions of development at the expense of environmental sustainability, specifically targeted policy instruments having failed to address the issue of desertification. Given this experience, it is estimated that only strict environmental policy enforcement together with people education could bring the situation under control.