It consists of many poor and highly erodable soils, prone to develop surface crusts. Its very high climatic variability is characterised by frequent relatively long periods of drought and short periods of heavy rainfall. The Mediterranean climates comprise hot dry summers and warm wet winters. These semi arid climatic conditions are unfavourable natural parameters enhancing soil degradation and desertification in the area. In such cases desertification is becoming an alarming and visible threat and the sustainable management of water resources and soil becomes an urgent need.
Human pressures are of equally great importance.
Another significant feature related to desertification, are the widespread in the Mediterranean region forest fires. Fires find favourable ground in the area because of inflammable vegetation, the topography, summer droughts and strong winds that favour their spreading. Even though forest fires are considered as a natural component of the Mediterranean woodland ecosystem, their frequency and impact have become recently much higher due to negligence, accidents and mainly intentional arson. A common feature of the northern part of the region, and increasingly of almost every part of the Mediterranean basin, is the high concentration of economic activities in coastal and adjacent riverine areas as a result of rapid urban growth, industrial activities and tourism. Since the economy of most countries around the Mediterranean rely to a large extend on tourism, a complex relationship between socio-economic demands and interests, on the one hand, and natural and cultural resources, on the other, has been developed.