Citation
(2005), "Pan-European soils atlas launched", International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Vol. 6 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijshe.2005.24906dae.002
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2005, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Pan-European soils atlas launched
Pan-European soils atlas launched
A first ever atlas of European soils from Portugal to the Urals has been launched by the European Commission. The work is intended to raise public awareness of the importance of soils in preparation for a strategy on soil protection due from the EU executive in the second half of the year.
The atlas is based on data from over 40 countries, harmonised by the Commission’s Joint research centre (JRC). In addition to detailed maps, it also explains how soils work and why they matter, and discusses major current threats to soils. Ten thousand printed copies have already been distributed.
The forthcoming soil strategy, to be accompanied by a framework directive, was promised in the EU’s sixth environmental action programme in 2002. The Commission proposed initial policy directions in the same year and set up an advisory forum and several technical working groups in 2003. The atlas can be seen at: http://eusoils.jrc.it/projects/soil_atlas/index.html.