Land Cover Degradation Challenges in Ukraine: Natural Drivers and Processes

Abstract

Land cover degradation poses global challenges, both economically and scientifically, with significant implications for Ukraine's sustainable development. Understanding the need for effective strategies to prevent soil degradation, address degraded lands, and reduce associated risks is crucial at both global and regional scales. Early identification and degradation monitoring require establishing natural predictors (drivers) to preserve ecosystems and biodiversity for future sustainable development. An objective assessment of land cover degradation and its predictors involves integrating remote sensing data across diverse regions and socioeconomic conditions. Research has identified land cover degradation types in Ukraine's territory and the natural drivers triggering this process using remote sensing data. Identifying natural drivers and processes encompasses various aspects, including driving forces (sub-drivers), factors, causes contributing to the degradation, and the degradation processes affecting Ukraine's soil cover. These aspects are integrated into a comprehensive graphic model, illustrating the sequence of driver influences on land cover degradation. Examples of land cover degradation in Ukraine detected through the developed conceptual framework, are provided. The proposed approach explores scenarios for future degradation processes, consequences, and adaptation pathways.