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About 115 million hectares of European soils are suffering from water erosion. Soil erosion is a major socio- economic and environmental problem through Europe. It reduces the productivity of the land and degrades the performance and the effectiveness of the ecosystems. More than half of the land in Europe has suffered various degrees of soil erosion by water. The phenomenon is more acute in the southern countries, where it often reaches catastrophic dimensions.

Erosion caused by deforestation can lead to increased flooding. Soil carried off in rain or irrigation water can [also] lead to sedimentation of rivers, lakes and coastal areas. The problem is exacerbated if there is no vegetation left along the banks of rivers and other watercourses to hold the soil.

Sedimentation causes serious damage to freshwater and marine habitats, as well as the local communities that depend on on these habitats.

It is estimated that since 1960, one-third of the world’s arable land has been lost through erosion and other degradation. Because agricultural land is often degraded and almost useless, producers keep on moving to more productive land. Globally, the land used and abandoned in the last 50 years may be equal to the amount of land used today.