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Solo

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Página Modificado pela última vez 2023-03-15
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O solo constitui a base para 90 % de toda a produção de alimentos, rações, fibras e combustíveis e fornece a matéria-prima para atividades que vão da horticultura ao setor de construção. O solo também é essencial para a saúde do ecossistema: purifica e regula a água, é o motor dos ciclos de nutrientes e um reservatório de genes e espécies, servindo de suporte à biodiversidade. É um sumidouro de carbono global, desempenhando um papel importante no possível abrandamento das alterações climáticas e dos seus impactes. Para além disso, conservando vestígios do nosso passado, constitui um elemento importante do nosso património cultural.

No entanto, o solo está sujeito a exigências contínuas, muitas vezes contraditórias, por parte da nossa sociedade. Deste modo, a capacidade do solo para fornecer serviços ecossistémicos — no que respeita à produção de alimentos, como uma reserva de biodiversidade e como regulador de gases, água e nutrientes —  está sob pressão. As taxas observadas de impermeabilização, erosão, declínio da matéria orgânica e contaminação no solo reduzem a resiliência do mesmo ou sua capacidade para absorver as mudanças a que está sujeito.

Ao longo do tempo de duração de uma vida humana, o solo pode ser considerado um recurso não-renovável. Precisamos, como sociedade, de o gerir de forma sustentável a fim de desfrutar dos seus benefícios. Apesar do leque de atividades que, em última instância, dependem do solo, não existe legislação comunitária específica sobre o mesmo. Até à data, e ao contrário da água e do ar, a proteção do solo é abordada indiretamente ou no âmbito de políticas sectoriais: agricultura e silvicultura, energia, água, alterações climáticas, proteção da natureza, resíduos e produtos químicos. A falta de uma política de solos coerente a nível da UE tem igualmente reflexo na escassez de dados harmonizados sobre o solo.

No entanto, nos últimos dez anos, temos assistido a progressos no domínio do desenvolvimento de políticas e dos esforços em matéria de dados coordenados. A Estratégia Temática da Proteção do Solo da Comissão Europeia, de 2006, salienta a necessidade de proteger o funcionamento do solo como elemento essencial do desenvolvimento sustentável. A nível mundial, as questões relacionadas com o solo estão a ser abordadas no âmbito do conceito mais amplo de degradação da terra (até agora limitado às zonas secas) pela Convenção das Nações Unidas de Combate à Desertificação (UNCCD). Mais recentemente, a noção de preservação das funções do solo foi incorporada no conceito de neutralidade da degradação do solo como parte dos Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável (ODS), aprovados pela Assembleia Geral das Nações Unidas em 2015. Os ODS incluem também metas sobre a qualidade do solo, a contaminação do solo, a gestão de produtos químicos e resíduos. A implementação dos ODS pode constituir um veículo importante para as medidas de proteção do solo na Europa. Os esforços para harmonizar e uniformizar a informação sobre o solo para uso público estão a decorrer em conformidade, tanto a nível mundial como a nível europeu.

A AEA produz avaliações baseadas em indicadores sobre uma série de tópicos relativos ao uso da terra e ao solo no âmbito do conjunto temático de indicadores de utilização da terra e do solo (conjunto de LSI). O conjunto de LSI inclui indicadores sobre: ocupação dos solos, impermeabilidade, gestão de locais contaminados, humidade dos solos, erosão do solo e carbono orgânico do solo. Estão previstos indicadores sobre fragmentação e reciclagem de terras. Os Serviços de observação da terra do Copernicus facilitam a atualização regular de vários desses indicadores. A AEA publica igualmente avaliações ad hoc sobre tópicos específicos relacionados com o solo, como a eficiência dos recursos do solo em áreas urbanizadas ou as cargas de nutrientes e metal do solo no meio ambiente.

Em função do tema, a AEA coopera com colegas da Comissão Europeia (designadamente do Centro Comum de Investigação (CCI) e da DG Ambiente), representantes da Eionet do Centro Nacional de Referência para o Ordenamento do Solo e do Ordenamento do Território, ou outras redes e peritos europeus. Os parceiros globais incluem: o Secretariado da UNCCD, a Aliança Mundial para o Solo, a Global Land Indicator Initiative (facilitada pelo UN-Habitat) e o Programa das Nações Unidas para o Ambiente.

O trabalho da AEA nesta área temática é apoiado, desde 1996, por Centros Temáticos Europeus (ETC) relevantes; o ETC sobre sistemas urbanos, de terras e de solos (ETC/ULS), que funciona desde 2014, apoia atualmente o trabalho da AEE no que respeita aos solos. Em 2007, as atividades relacionadas com os dados sobre os solos foram transferidas para o Centro Europeu de Dados sobre Solos do CCI.

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Imperviousness and imperviousness change Between 2006 and 2009, soil sealing, or imperviousness, increased in all EEA-39 countries by a total of 4 364 k m 2 . This corresponds to an annual average increase of 1 454 k m 2 , or 0.027 % of the total EEA-39 area. During this period, the rate of increase in soil sealing relative to country area varied from 0.001 % to 0.48 %. In 2009, the percentage of a countries' total area that was sealed also varied greatly, with values ranging from 0.15 % to 15.23 %. The highest sealing values, as a percentage of country area, occurred in small countries with high population densities, while the lowest sealing values could be found in large countries with low population densities. The most problematic situation occurs in countries where there is already a high percentage of sealing and where the annual rate of increase relative to country area is high.
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Soil moisture Soil moisture content is already being affected by rising temperatures and changes in precipitation amounts, both of which are evidence of changes in climate. Since 1951, modelled soil moisture content significantly increased in parts of northern Europe and decreased in the Mediterranean region. Projections for 2021–2050 show a general change in summer soil moisture content over most of Europe, including significant decreases in the Mediterranean region and increases in the northeastern part of Europe. Maintaining water-retention capacity and porosity are important to reduce the impacts of intense rainfall and droughts, which are projected to become more frequent and severe. The modelled results are based on natural factors and disregard artificial drainage and irrigation practices.
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