Reduction of soil consumption on a daily basis and 11.8 acres of

Vienna (OTS) – The land consumption in Austria decreased compared to the previous period. The current Figures of the Federal environment Agency show. In the years 2016 to 2018 were claimed per day is 11.8 hectares. This means a decrease of around nine per cent over the period from 2015 to 2017. „Since the year of 2013, we observe a decreasing Trend. Goes in the right direction. This is also urgently necessary to ensure that the ground is lost,“ commented Karl Kienzl, Deputy Chairman of the Board of management in the Federal environment Agency the development.

In the year 2018, the daily soil consumption was 10.5 acres. The majority of construction and traffic areas (5.4 hectares) and has consumed land (4.7 acres). 0.4 hectares per day were used for new recreational and Reduction in occupying space.
The soil consumption for operating areas, recreation areas, and

Soil consumption is falling slowly

Road space has decreased in the last five years; and the demand for building area was 5.4 hectares per day in 2018, however, so high as in the past five years.
The daily claimed the floor, 41 percent are sealed; this is roughly the size of five football fields. The floor is covered with a water-impermeable layer. By the associated water and air exchange he loses to save all of its features such as the ability of water and filter, evaporate, pollutants and sequester carbon. With the loss of infiltration ways the risk of Flooding and high water also increases. By the end of 2018, more than 233,000 hectares were sealed to the ground. The are around 3,000 hectares more than in the previous year. Since 2001, the degree of Sealing is increased steadily to 24 percent. The construction and sealing of valuable arable and pasture land in addition to negative environmental effects such as the loss of Biodiverisität also have a negative impact on the food supply. There are also areas for the conservation of nature advised by construction activity under pressure. In a current environment Agency Austria-study undeveloped for the first time identified spaces, for the conservation of valuable lives, which are on a dedicated plot of land. On the basis of four example regions, the impact of land dynamics to be modeled.

Strategic Space Management

„Soils are our most important basis for life, we need to protect them much better,“ recalls Karl Kienzl, and argues for a strategic surface management, which provides for anchoring of the soil functions in the corresponding laws. Also, the Definition of priority areas for agricultural production, for high-water-containment and ecologically valuable areas are important elements. The use of derelict industrial and commercial spaces, as well as of unused residential space in the village or in the city should take precedence over settlements on the green Meadow. „We need new, sustainable approaches to settlement and development, Commercial thinking, without any additional land consumption“, calls for Kienzl.

For more information: http://www.umweltbundesamt.at/news_190306

for More information
Sabine Enzinger, press office, German Federal environment Agency
+43 (0)1 31304/5488; sabine.enzinger@umweltbundesamt.at