Land degradation (LD) threatens the food security and general welfare of many people globally. Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) is a pivotal goal within the global sustainability agenda, particularly under Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 15.3.1, which measures the proportion of land that is degraded over total land area. Romania, with its diverse landscapes and significant agricultural sector, faces notable challenges in this area. Assessing this SDG indicator serves to identify vulnerable areas and assists policymakers in defining the necessary strategic instruments and actions. Most previous studies have assessed land degradation using low‐ or moderate‐resolution data without clearly identifying the triggering factors, thereby limiting the ability to detect changes at the sub‐national level and analyze in detail the influence of these factors on the environment. This research is the first to examine the relationship between the proportion of land that is degraded and 20 potential triggering factors in cities and municipalities, aiming to identify key drivers of land degradation and provide insights for urban planning and policy‐making. The study integrates a series of high and medium‐resolution statistical, geospatial, and EO data sources to effectively assess land degradation and identify triggering factors in 103 municipalities and 216 cities. Using multiple regression analysis (MRA) and the Random Forest Method (RF), this study analyzed various predictive factors influencing LD, revealing that changes in land cover, temperature, and multi‐annual average precipitation, along with atmospheric pollutants (CO, SO2) and Land Surface Temperature, significantly contribute to land degradation in large cities. These factors accounted for approximately 83.3% (MRA) and 96.7% (RF) of the variation in the land degradation indicator, underscoring their roles in influencing land degradation trends. According to the results, 2.3% of Romania's area was degraded during the 2015–2022 period, 58% remained stable, 38% showed improvements, and the remaining 1.7% represented water bodies. By identifying vulnerable communes and counties, and the triggering factors, the study supports the implementation of appropriate measures to combat LD, a crucial step in Romania's efforts to achieve LDN by 2030.

中文翻译：

---

使用先进的分析技术在局部尺度上确定罗马尼亚的土地退化


土地退化 （LD） 威胁着全球许多人的粮食安全和总体福利。土地退化零增长 （LDN） 是全球可持续发展议程中的关键目标，尤其是在可持续发展目标 （SDG） 15.3.1 下，该目标衡量的是退化土地占土地总面积的比例。罗马尼亚拥有多样化的景观和重要的农业部门，在这一领域面临着显著的挑战。评估这一可持续发展目标指标有助于确定薄弱领域，并协助政策制定者确定必要的战略工具和行动。以前的大多数研究都使用低分辨率或中分辨率数据来评估土地退化，而没有明确确定触发因素，从而限制了在地方层面检测变化和详细分析这些因素对环境影响的能力。本研究首次考察了城市和市镇土地退化比例与 20 个潜在触发因素之间的关系，旨在确定土地退化的关键驱动因素，并为城市规划和政策制定提供见解。该研究整合了一系列高分辨率和中分辨率统计、地理空间和 EO 数据源，以有效评估 103 个城市和 216 个城市的土地退化并确定触发因素。本研究使用多元回归分析 （MRA） 和随机森林法 （RF），分析了影响 LD 的各种预测因素，揭示了土地覆盖、温度和多年平均降水量的变化，以及大气污染物（CO、SO2）和地表温度，显着导致大城市的土地退化。这些因素约占 83.3% （MRA） 和 96%。7% （RF） 的土地退化指标变化，强调了它们在影响土地退化趋势方面的作用。根据结果，罗马尼亚 2.3% 的面积在 2015-2022 年期间退化，58% 保持稳定，38% 出现改善，其余 1.7% 为水体。通过确定脆弱的社区和县以及触发因素，该研究支持实施适当的措施来对抗 LDN，这是罗马尼亚努力到 2030 年实现 LDN 的关键一步。