Soil: a precious and fragile resource

A precious and fragile resource

Soil is a fundamental resource for life, yet its importance is often underestimated. Soil is the basis for agriculture, provides food for more than two billion people, and is home to most of the earth's biodiversity. In addition, soil plays a key role in the water cycle, helping to regulate stormwater flow and prevent erosion.

Unfortunately, soil is a nonrenewable resource. It takes hundreds or thousands of years to form, and its degradation can occur very rapidly.

The use of more and more soil for construction

A major cause of land degradation is the increasing use of land for construction. Worldwide, millions of hectares of land are consumed each year for the construction of buildings, roads, airports and other infrastructure.

Land consumption for construction has several negative consequences. First, it reduces the area available for agriculture, which can lead to higher food prices. In addition, land consumption can contribute to erosion, as soil not covered by vegetation is more vulnerable to weathering.

A carbon reserve

Healthy and fertile soil is able to retain carbon dioxide and thus counteract climate change. This is due to the storage of carbon in the soil, that component consisting of plant and animal residues transformed over time by the organisms that are present in the soil. European community studies have shown a very low presence of organic carbon in cultivated soils compared to natural vegetation, due to the use of chemical fertilizers.

The European Union's Farm to Fork strategy sets the rules for reducing pesticides and chemical fertilizers.

The consequences

Land use for construction also has other negative consequences, including:

• Increased flood risk: soil can absorb and retain rainwater, helping to prevent flooding. When soil is removed, rainwater flows more quickly to the surface, increasing flood risk.
• Increased pollution: construction activities can generate air, water and soil pollution.
• Loss of biodiversity: soil is home to a wide variety of plants and animals. Soil loss can lead to habitat loss and reduced biodiversity.

A non-renewable resource

Soil formation takes hundreds or thousands of years. Soil is formed from rocks, organic debris and microorganisms. The process of soil formation is slow and complex, and can be easily compromised by human activities such as erosion, pollution and compaction.

For this reason, soil is considered a non-renewable natural resource

What can we do to protect the soil?

There are many things we can do to protect the soil, including:

• Reduce land consumption for construction: it is important to plan cities in a way that minimizes land consumption by renovating existing buildings.
• Practice sustainable agriculture: sustainable agriculture helps protect the soil and keep it fertile.
• Reduce erosion: soil erosion can be reduced by planting trees and shrubs, and adopting sustainable agricultural practices.
• Reduce soil pollution: soil pollution can be reduced by avoiding leaking chemicals and wastes into the soil.

Protecting soil is critical to securing the future of our planet.