Soil sealing in the European Union

긴급제언 - 유럽연합의 토양포장

  • 이영희 (베를린공대 사회, 환경 정주공간 학제 연구단, 고려대학교 환경생태공학부, 독일 연방 환경청 토양/토지부문, 행정학 국제연구소)
  • Received : 2012.08.06
  • Published : 2012.11.16

Abstract

Every year in Europe, soils covering an area larger than the city of Berlin are lost to urban sprawl and transport infrastructure. Soil sealing causes an irreversible loss of the biological functions of soil. As water can neither infiltrate nor evaporate, water runoff increases, sometimes leading to catastrophic floods. Landscapes are fragmented and habitats become too small or too isolated to support certain species. In addition, the food production potential of land is lost forever. There is an urgent need to use this valuable resource more wisely, in order to secure its many vital services for future generations. The EU faces new territorial challenges.

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