The European Union's approximately three million contaminated sites could grow 50% in 15 years and Europe's soils are being damaged by erosion, soil sealing, loss of carbon and biodiversity, salinisation, compaction and instability according to the European Environment Agency's five yearly assessment of the continent's environment.
The State of the Environment Report 2010 draws on expert work from all over Europe and provides both an overarching assessment and thematic assessments in various areas including soil.
It concludes that transforming Europe to a resource-efficient green economy could boost prosperity and social cohesion while also protecting the environment.
"We are consuming more natural resources than is ecologically stable," said EEA executive director Jacqueline McGlade.
"This is true for both Europe and the planet as a whole. Climate change is the most visible sign of instability so far, but a range of global trends suggest greater systemic risks to ecosystems in future. The nature of the current financial crisis should give us pause for thought."
The thematic assessment on soil says a range of EU policies contributes to soil protection but are insufficient to ensure an adequate level of protection. Data is also scarce.
Among its findings:-
- 105m hectares of (16%) of Europe's land area (excluding Russia) is affected by water erosion and 42m hectares by wind erosion;
- 45% of its soils have low organic matter (<2%) and 45% medium (2-6%) and is especially problematic in the south of Europe and five northern states including the UK;
- up to 36% of European subsoils are susceptible to compaction;
- salinisation affects 3.8m hectares;
- there is no data on areas susceptible to landslides;
- around 3m sites are contaminated, most frequently with heavy metal and mineral oil;
- sealing covers 4% of Europe (excluding the UK, Greece and Switzerland) and increased by 6% in 10 years;
- all these degradation processes affect biodiversity.
The assessment bemoans the lack of a soil directive requiring comprehensive inventories of contaminated sites.
But it says around 250,000 of the 3m contaminated sites may need urgent remediation.
It warns that, without legislation, the number of contaminated sites may increase by 50% by 2025.
