A third of the territory of the Balearic Islands is undergoing desertification. Data fromAtlas of Desertification in Spain Newly published studies confirm that this phenomenon affects approximately 1,600 square kilometers of the archipelago's total surface area. But the first thing experts point out is that "desertification doesn't mean a desert is being created. It's a process of land degradation, resulting from a series of causes, and what is certain is that it occurs wherever there is aridity," explains Enrique Morán, a geographer at the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB). "Therefore," he insists, "when desertification percentages are presented, we should primarily reflect on the fact that these are territories where the soil has been impoverished and degraded. So, even if there isn't a very large change in terms of vegetation, which is the last to occur, a weakening has already begun, which is not at all positive." Experts consider desertification itself to be a degradation of the land, since as it progresses, ecosystems lose fertility, regenerative capacity, and environmental quality—a process influenced by both climate and human activity. According to recent Atlas of Desertification in SpainUp to 87% of the Balearic territory is considered arid, and therefore susceptible to desertification. Of these arid zones, 33.7% are already degraded, which is equivalent to approximately one-third of the total territory of the Balearic Islands (29.3%), placing the archipelago among the most vulnerable regions in Spain.