Visualising Soil Erosion to Build Local Resilience: A SIMWE-Based approach for Mediterranean Farming Systems.

The arid areas of the Mediterranean are highly vulnerable to soil degradation, a process accelerated by climate variability, geomorphological fragility, and unsustainable agricultural practices. This thesis examines soil erosion in an inland area of northern Puglia, in southern Italy, where intensive wheat cultivation and lack of political attention combine with increasing climatic pressures. A physical data based modelling approach was adopted using the Simulated Water Erosion Model (SIMWE) in GRASS GIS, parameterised with high-resolution topographic data obtained via drones and site specific soil measurements. The simulations, which identify spatial patterns of surface runoff, erosion, and deposition, were complemented by semi-structured interviews with local farmers to capture perceptions of environmental change, constraints to sustainable practices, and opinions on the potential of nature-based solutions (NbS). The results show that SIMWE, by integrating both erosion and deposition processes with fine spatial resolution, provides a more detailed picture of vulnerability than widely used empirical models such as RUSLE. Farmers' testimonials highlight opportunities for targeted NbS interventions, including water retention basins, vegetation barriers, and cover crops, while revealing structural and institutional barriers, that hinder their adoption. By combining high resolution modelling with local knowledge, the study demonstrates a method for producing actionable, site-specific insights into land degradation risks. It also underlines the value of integrating physically based models into both scientific research and agricultural policy, and of aligning technical outputs with the realities faced by farming communities to design more effective strategies for soil and water conservation in Mediterranean drylands.