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40
Box 3 -
Soil consumption in Italy and EU guidelines to limit, mitigate and compensate
soil sealing
The negative impacts of the loss of this important and limited environmental resource are well
recognized at scientific level. Also at political level, the need to limit urban sprawl and soil sealing,
which are the main causes of soil consumption, is well recognized.
The objective of land take limitation was set up at European level already with the thematic
strategy for soil protection in 2006, which stressed the need to implement best practices for
reducing adverse effects of artificial land use and, in particular, of soil sealing. This overall
objective was confirmed in 2011, with the roadmap towards a resource-efficient, with the target of
no (zero) net land take in Europe in 2050. Objective strengthened by Parliament with the approval
of the 7th environmental action programme in 2014. Year 2015 was also proclaimed by the General
Assembly of the United Nations “International Year of Soils”, a proclamation that underlines how
the soil represents the essence of life, an essential resource for maintaining the entire ecosystem
and the natural heritage.
However, in Italy and in our cities we continue to increase artificial land cover, often without
concern for agricultural activities, areas of high environmental value or hydrogeological
characteristics. A unpleasant fate for the Italian fragile land and soil, that are lost at a speed of 7
square meters per second, with an irreversible damage to our well-being and the environment. A
process often poorly regulated, which led to dramatic results: our country has a level soil
consumption among the highest in Europe. The phenomenon reached intolerable levels in some of
the most important areas of our territory: the plains and the most productive agricultural areas (soil
consumption in Pianura Padana risen to 12%), the most famous coastal areas, the shores of rivers
and lakes and even the 9% of flood hazard zones, increasing population risk. Nearly 20% of Italian
coastline is lost irreversibly. It is built at 19.4% (over 500 Km2) of land between 0-300 meters
away from the shoreline and almost 16% between 300 and 1,000 meters. Coastal areas with the
highest values of soil consumption are in Liguria, in northern Tuscany, in the provinces of Roma
and Latina, in good part of Campania, Puglia and Sicily, and along the Adriatic coast from
Ravenna and Pescara. In Liguria and Marche artificial land cover within 300 meters from the coast
is about 40%. (Figure 1, Figure 2).