Soils are at first a practically ubiquitous environmental media. Almost any human
activity necessarily uses land and soil.
20 And almost any use of soil will cause
degradation—at least to some extent.
Soil governance is a cross-cutting issue because it needs to be considered with
regard to all human activities. There are certain main drivers of degradation of
soils
21 : Agriculture, urbanization, land take for infrastructure such as streets or
railways, industrial uses.
In addition soils are vulnerable to different types of threats. The EU Thematic
Strategy for Soils of 2006
22 has differentiated eight types, including: soil erosion,
decline in organic matter, local and diffuse contamination, sealing, compaction, and
decline in biodiversity, salinization, floods and landslides.
23 Each of these threats
requires a different management regime.
Some drivers of soil degradation are mainly related to certain soil threats. For
example urbanization or land take primarily cause soil sealing, soil compaction and
decline of organic matter. Industrial uses primarily result in soil sealing and contamination. Agriculture could cause almost all soil threats, even soil contamination
by the use of pesticides, manure or fertilizer.
Moreover the kind of use of soil in a specific area must be considered when the
needed level of protection is to be determined. This is particularly true with regard to
soil contamination. To provide an extreme example: it is obvious that within an
industrial site of an oil manufacturing company, a higher level of contamination is
acceptable than on a playground of a Kindergarten.
Finally a more scientific issue: soils differ significantly with regard to their type,
components, structure. There are an enormous number of different types of soils.
Thus each soil type carries its own characteristics and is differently valuable for and
vulnerable to different uses.
3.2 Prerequisites of Good Soil Governance
Good governance has to provide solutions for specific challenges. With regard to a
good soil governance this means that regulation must first aim to specifically address
the various drivers of the soil degradation. The main drivers are—as already
mentioned—agriculture, urbanization, land take and industrial practices. These
20 One exemption is if people act in aquatic settings. For example, fishing or shipping do not
necessarily have a direct effect on soils.
21 For example during war, other causes of soil and land degradations may occur.
22 EU Commission (2006). Additionally, eutrophication is nowadays discussed as a further threat
category.
23 EU Commission (2012) with further information on the status of degradation with regard to the
various threats.
Good Governance for “Sustainable Management of Soil” on. . .
39
activity necessarily uses land and soil.
20 And almost any use of soil will cause
degradation—at least to some extent.
Soil governance is a cross-cutting issue because it needs to be considered with
regard to all human activities. There are certain main drivers of degradation of
soils
21 : Agriculture, urbanization, land take for infrastructure such as streets or
railways, industrial uses.
In addition soils are vulnerable to different types of threats. The EU Thematic
Strategy for Soils of 2006
22 has differentiated eight types, including: soil erosion,
decline in organic matter, local and diffuse contamination, sealing, compaction, and
decline in biodiversity, salinization, floods and landslides.
23 Each of these threats
requires a different management regime.
Some drivers of soil degradation are mainly related to certain soil threats. For
example urbanization or land take primarily cause soil sealing, soil compaction and
decline of organic matter. Industrial uses primarily result in soil sealing and contamination. Agriculture could cause almost all soil threats, even soil contamination
by the use of pesticides, manure or fertilizer.
Moreover the kind of use of soil in a specific area must be considered when the
needed level of protection is to be determined. This is particularly true with regard to
soil contamination. To provide an extreme example: it is obvious that within an
industrial site of an oil manufacturing company, a higher level of contamination is
acceptable than on a playground of a Kindergarten.
Finally a more scientific issue: soils differ significantly with regard to their type,
components, structure. There are an enormous number of different types of soils.
Thus each soil type carries its own characteristics and is differently valuable for and
vulnerable to different uses.
3.2 Prerequisites of Good Soil Governance
Good governance has to provide solutions for specific challenges. With regard to a
good soil governance this means that regulation must first aim to specifically address
the various drivers of the soil degradation. The main drivers are—as already
mentioned—agriculture, urbanization, land take and industrial practices. These
20 One exemption is if people act in aquatic settings. For example, fishing or shipping do not
necessarily have a direct effect on soils.
21 For example during war, other causes of soil and land degradations may occur.
22 EU Commission (2006). Additionally, eutrophication is nowadays discussed as a further threat
category.
23 EU Commission (2012) with further information on the status of degradation with regard to the
various threats.
Good Governance for “Sustainable Management of Soil” on. . .
39