Soil conservation

As the living interface between vegetation cover and geological subsurface, soil forms the skin of our planet and is fundamental for human life. Healthy soils are key to mitigating and adapting to climate change, to preserving biodiversity, and to achieving food security. However, vast quantities of healthy soils are lost every day. This loss is largely caused by human soil consumption. Soil fertility and avoiding degradation are basic preconditions for a high quality of life, which is why the conservation of soils is of the utmost importance! This is especially true for mountainous regions such as the Alps, where the limited availability of soils adds to the pressures from  the region’s steep reliefs, shallow soils, and longer formation times. Another challenge for soil in Alpine regions is climate change, which is progressing more rapidly in mountainous areas and is much more noticeable than in other places.

The Contracting Parties of the Alpine Convention have committed to “reducing quantitative and qualitative soil damage, in particular by applying agricultural and forestry methods which do not harm the soil, through minimum interference with soil and land, control of erosion and the restriction of soil sealing” (Framework Convention Art. 2, 2d). Furthermore, the XV Alpine Conference welcomed the declaration “Sustainable Land Use and Soil Protection – Joining Forces for Nature, People and the Economy”, which was developed by the EUSALP Action group 6, which is led by the Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention and the Province of Carinthia.

Since results in the field of soil protection require perseverance and continuous efforts, long-term strategies for relevant cooperation partners are necessary. To this end, the “Long-Term Action Plan for the implementation of provisions and declarations on soil protection in the specific context of the Alpine region” was adopted by the XVII Alpine Conference in October 2022 and afterwards made available in the Alpine languages.

Protocols and Declarations

• Soil Conservation Protocol

Thematic Working Bodies

• Soil Protection Working Group

Selected Documents and Publications

• Statement: Preserving moors in the Alps (2024) 
• Promoting soil protection through spatial planning in the Alpine States – National Workshops: summary and event reports (2024)
• Long-Term Action Plan for the implementation of provisions and declarations on soil protection in the specific context of the Alpine region (2022)
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations: Voluntary Guidelines for Sustainable Soil Management (German and Slovenian versions co-published by the FAO and the Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention)
• Soil functions and spatial planning in the Alps - Workshop documentation (2022)
• Alpine Soil Newsletter (3 editions)
• Summary of statements from the Alps on LUCAS Soil 2022 by the Soil Protection Technical Working Group (2020)
• Report “Economical and prudent use of soil in the Alps” (2020)
• Stock-taking summary of permanent soil monitoring areas in the perimeter of the Alpine Convention (Annex 1, Annex 2) (2020)
• Cooperation with the JRC regarding the Soil Conservation Protocol Articles 20 and 21: Harmonised Databases and Soil Monitoring (2020)
• Stock-taking of institutions, projects and networks relevant for soil protection in the Alps (2020)
• In-depth report of the Compliance Committee (2019) - available in German, French, Italian, and Slovenian  (2019)  
• Soil Declaration “Sustainable Land Use and Soil Protection – Joining Forces for Nature, People and the Economy”; elaborated by EUSALP Action Group 6(2018)
• Resolutions by the 13^th Youth Parliament of the Alpine Convention (2018)
• Quo vadis soil protection in the Alps? Assessment of the Alpine Convention Soil Conservation Protocol and preparation/implementation of an international conference (2018)
• Alpine Soil Symposium: Soil Conservation Protocol of the Alpine Convention - between demand and reality (conference report) (23-24 June 2016)

Projects

• SOIL:OurInvisibleAlly (Alpine Space Programme) (2024-2027)
• Alpine peatlands and climate protection (2021 - 2022) 
• Links4Soils (Alpine Space Programme) - project for connecting Alpine soil knowledge for sustainable ecosystem governance (2016-2020)
• The Alpine Soil Partnership/Platform