Abstract

The Netherlands already makes intensive use of its soil. This use is set to further increase in the coming years, for example because soil has the potential to play a significant role in countering climate change, mitigating its effects and making agriculture more sustainable. This is needed to support the energy transition, restore biodiversity and keep the groundwater clean.

All of this is conditional on the soil being healthy and capable of performing all of its functions. Consequently, the health of the soil should play a more important part in soil management in the Netherlands. This will require carefully considered soil use and sustainable soil management policies. After all, the soil is unable to perform all functions simultaneously or in the same place. If the soil is used too intensively, it will become exhausted and many of its important functions will be lost.

RIVM has outlined a set of building blocks for a broad soil use and sustainable soil management strategy. A broad strategy will make it possible to tackle the challenges ahead with regard to climate, biodiversity and the energy transition cohesively. This is equally necessary to combat threats to soil quality, such as covering, overfertilisation, pollution and exhaustion.

The soil is important to us all. It will require the joint efforts of the general public, farmers, industry and the government to achieve a fair distribution of the advantages of a healthy soil. This will result in broad support for an agreement on soil use and sustainable soil management measures. It will also be vital to exchange knowledge, so that all actors can work together to enhance spatial development and soil management in the Netherlands sustainably.