Uncovered soils are exposed unprotected to the energy of water during heavy and prolonged rainfall. The water transports the soil irretrievably downhill. As a result, fertile soil is lost, and therefore the yielding capacity on arable land. In addition, the eroded material and the absorbed nutrients and pollutants can pollute neighboring water bodies.
Under the unification treaty that was concluded with the former East Germany, the Federal Republic of Germany took possession of the former East Germany’s assets and assumed liability for its debts. As a result, the entirety of the former East Germany’s industrial sector and its contaminated sites also became the responsibility of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Pollutants are omnipresent in soils. They originate from industry, agriculture, traffic and private households, for example, but also from natural sources. If pollutants accumulate in the soil, they can pose a risk to humans and the environment.
It’s no exaggeration to say that Germany’s land undergoes all manner of abuse on a daily basis, ranging from contaminant and nutrient inputs to road and housing construction and erosion. Moreover, climate change has a devastating effect on soil ecology, which can also be degraded by intensive farming.
