44% of steep slope cropland in Europe vulnerable to drought

Steep-slope cropland plays a vital role in food production, economic development, ecosystem diversity, and European cultural heritage. However, these systems are susceptible to extreme weather events. The 2022 summer drought significantly impacted European agriculture, but the specific effects on steep-slope crops remain uncertain. Clarifying this is essential for comprehending similar future events and for implementing effective water management strategies to ensure the sustainability of steep-slope agriculture and associated ecosystem services. This study quantitatively analyzes the spatial distribution of twelve major European steep-slope (>12%) crops and assesses agricultural drought severity during the 2022 events using open-access spatial data. The satellite-based Vegetation Health Index (VHI) is utilized to identify critical hotspots. Results show that olive grove is the most widespread crop in steep slope agriculture (34% of total area), followed by wheat (24%), maize (16%), and vineyard (11%). Almost half of the steep-slope agriculture in Europe suffered drought during summer 2022. Vineyards were hardest affected at 79%, primarily in northern Portugal, northern Spain, southern France, and central Italy. Sunflowers followed at 62%, mainly in Spain, central Italy, southern France, and northern Romania. Olive groves ranked third at 59%, with the most impact in northern Portugal, southern and central Spain, and southern Italy. Maize was also significantly affected at 54%. In this paper, we therefore highlight the need to increase steep-slope agriculture resilience by improving water management and promoting sustainable land practices.