Coinciding with yesterday World Day in the Fight against Desertification and Drought, the Spanish Environment ministry revealed that more than 30% of Spain's total surface area is at risk from desertification and that the problem is getting worse.159,337 square kilometres of Spain's total surface area of 505,061 square kilometres (31.5%) is at high or extreme risk of desertification, and a further 109,712 square kilometres are also at risk.

The worst affected areas are in the southeast and Canary Islands where risks levels are at almost 100%: Murcia (99%), Valencia region (93%) and Canary Islands (90%). Other regions at risk are: Castilla La Mancha (44%), Cataluña (42%), Madrid (37%), Aragón (29%), the Balearic Islands (25%) and Andalucía (22%).

According to UN figures, soil ersoion affects the lives of 1,200 million people worldwide who depend on agriculture or livestock rearing for their livelihoods. A further 200 million people are indirectly affected. The areas worst affected by desertification are: Kazakstan, Uzbekistan, and Sahel, Mali, Mauritania, Chad and Senegal in Africa.

The photo shows an aerial view of Europe's largest desert in Tabernas (Almería) taken yesterday from a helicopter.