World Soil Day

Urban soils provide essential ecosystem services: they support food production, filter water, store carbon, regulate temperatures, and sustain biodiversity. However, soil sealing , Soil pollution , and urban expansion threaten these benefits, increasing flood risks, intensifying heat islands and threatening food production in peri-urban land. Solutions exist. De-sealing, green roofs, urban vegetation and agriculture, composting, and sustainable urban planning can turn soil into opportunities to strengthen climate action, improve public health, reduce disaster risks, and foster inclusive and greener cities. Groundwater is vital. It’s the hidden resource fueling Europe’s drinking water, irrigation, and ecosystems. Yet today, cities – and not farmers like often is claimed – pose the biggest threat to groundwater availability. How? The answer lies in urban soil sealing: covering natural land surfaces with asphalt, concrete, and other impermeable materials resulting in groundwater shorta...

  Soil pollution refers to the presence of contaminant(s) in the soil whose nature, location, or quantity produces undesirable effects in the environment or human health. The laboratory analysis will depend on the results of the preliminary pollution risk assessment (in many cases this is not related to stakeholder management), after which the contaminants of major concern could be identified, and the specific method implemented. The contaminants of major concern considered in this document are trace elements, different types of pesticides, excess nutrients, hydrocarbons, and plastics. For an accurate assessment, it is therefore recommended to compile the necessary information related to the possible pollution risks, such as the proximity to a factory or a mining area, the source of irrigation water; the type and frequency of supplies and equipements used; and the use of agroplastics and its management. In addition, if a soil management practice is known to (potentially) introduc...