Soils can reduce pollution, extreme weather events and temperatures in cities.

Cities are centres of traffic and sources of industrial pollution, waste and wastewater. As a result, urban soils can become easily polluted, posing serious health risks for residents. Actions are needed to identify, manage and restore such polluted urban soils. 

Integrating green spaces, tree pits and green corridors can help filter pollutants.

Healthy soils in turn enable greater green coverage, which absorbs less heat than concrete and asphalt, lowers surface temperatures, absorbs rainwater and reduces landslides and floods. As we build more roads and buildings, more urban soils are sealed. 

Preventing and reversing soil sealing through city greening, on the other hand, can keep cities cool and mitigate extreme weather by sequestering carbon, retaining water and fostering biodiversity.