In the past, flood protection was often strongly focused on technical measures. Sustainable flood prevention focuses more on natural flood protection, addresses the causes of floods, restricts the use of land along rivers and raises awareness of natural hazards among the population.
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.
Fertile soils are essential for life. Their preservation is set to become one of the United Nations’ global sustainability goals, under the heading “land degradation neutral world”. A legal study commissioned by UBA looked into how this goal could be implemented at international level.
There’s no way around it: all construction has a direct impact on the soil. Depending on the extent of the changes brought about by construction, it can completely or partly destroy vital soil functions. For example, paving over open space destroys natural habitats. Land use resulting in drastic changes in both greenfield land and farmland can be curbed, however.
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.
