483S.A. Shahid et al. (eds.), Developments in Soil Classifi cation, Land Use Planning and Policy Implications: Innovative Thinking of Soil Inventory for Land Use Planning and Management of Land Resources, DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-5332-7_26, © Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013

Abstract Soils have a crucial role in addressing some of the key issues of our time, such as food security and climate change, and provide a key natural resource asset underpinning sustainable development. Until now, this role has largely been ignored in the policy debate. This situation is changing internationally, as the importance of the land in supporting our future survival and prosperity is increasingly realised. A soil management strategy providing a clear purpose and direction for policy development and a framework to coordinate activities is essential. A policy vision and a set of guiding principles to meet this challenge are proposed, and the value of good underpinning soil resource information is demonstrated. The soil survey of the Abu Dhabi Emirate, which delivers a soil and land resource dataset at a scale, accuracy and consistency required to support land use planning and policy devel-opment, is a signi fi cant achievement that should be applauded. The opportunities provided by this new comprehensive information to achieve sustainable development in the Abu Dhabi Emirate are immense.

Keywords Land use planning • Soil management • Soil policy • Soil strategy • Soil survey

N. Schoknecht (*) Department of Agriculture and Food, 3 Baron-Hay Court , Western Australia, South Perth 6151 , Australia

National (Australian) Committee on Soil and Terrain , 3 Baron-Hay Court , South Perth 6151 , Australia e-mail: noel.schoknecht@agric.wa.gov.au

Chapter 26 Application of Soil Survey in Land Use Planning and Policy Development

Noel Schoknecht

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26.1 Introduction

Many countries have a long history of soil survey and soil and land classi fi cation. This information is very useful in identifying opportunities and risks of land use and can help direct government policy towards sustainable and pro fi table use of the soil and land resource. The scale, quality and consistency of the information play a major role in its value in planning and policy applications. This information, however, is often underutilised. A challenge for government is to utilise the wealth of useful information that a soil survey provides for developing appropriate land management and soil policy at a national level. To be successful, this process needs to engage government, academia, private sector and the community. This is an undertaking that Australia and many other countries such as United Arab Emirates are currently pursuing. This chapter investigates the current trends in the use of soil and land information, drawing on experience from within Australia and neighbour-ing countries and developments globally, and discusses the opportunities offered by the new comprehensive soil survey information now available for the Abu Dhabi Emirate.

26.1.1 Need for Soil Policy

In all the debates around climate change and water scarcity, one of the most impor-tant elements has been missing from the discussion – the soil. Soil management is fundamental for food security, for water security and for storing carbon and reducing global greenhouse gas emissions, yet it has been largely ignored in the policy debate to date.

This situation is changing internationally, as the importance of the land in sup-porting our future survival and prosperity is increasingly realised. A soil manage-ment strategy providing a clear purpose and direction for policy development and a framework to coordinate activities is essential.

The need for a coordinated policy agenda to underpin the sustainable use of soils was clearly outlined in agenda 6 (providing guidance to develop and implement national soil policies) of an International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) publication A World Soils Agenda. Discussing International Actions for the Sustainable Use of Soils (Hurni and Meyer 2002 ) . International interest in policy frameworks contin-ues. The Commission of the European Communities published a thematic strategy for soil protection in 2006 (Commission of the European Communities 2006a ) , with an associated impact assessment (Commission of the European Communities 2006b ) and a proposal for establishing a framework for the protection of soil (Commission of the European Communities 2006c ) . Unfortunately, this framework has yet to be implemented due to the complexities of gaining approval from the numerous member states. The importance of soil and improved soil management in mitigating climate change is increasingly realised, such as the Review of existing

48526 Application of Soil Survey in Land Use Planning and Policy Development

information on the interrelations between soil and climate change (Commission of the European Communities 2008 ) . In Australia, a forum on development of a soil policy and a national soil strategy was held at the 19th World Congress of Soil Sciences in Brisbane in August 2010.

The fourth UNEP Global Environment Outlook – environment for development (GEO-4) assessment report was published in October 2007 . This report addresses the key environmental challenges threatening our existence on this planet, highlights emerging environmental issues that require policy attention and makes recommen-dations for decision makers to act.

The fi ndings were a wake-up call, and key fi ndings included:

Since 1987, an average of 73,000 km • 2 of forest has been lost annually (mostly to farmland, with farmland converted to urban). The intensity of land use for agricultural production has increased dramatically • since 1987. Regionally, land degradation is a fundamental and persistent problem, which is • driven by unsustainable land use or inappropriate land management. Chemical contamination and pollution pose hazards to human health and the • environment. Depletion of soil nutrients is the most signi fi cant biophysical factor, limiting • crop production over large areas in the tropics. Deserti fi cation – land degradation in dry lands – is most sharply expressed in • poor countries, affecting the livelihoods of rural people. Demands on land resources and the risks to sustainability are likely to intensify. •

The Soil Science Society of America, acknowledging the critical need for soils information and knowledge in the policy and political arena, in 2006 formed a Congressional Soils Caucus with the following goals:

1. Increase appreciation and support in Congress for the importance of soils and soil science through continuing education and timely communication of contem-porary issues in soil science.

2. Identify and prioritise soil research and education needs critical to advancing soil science to solve problems related to world food security, natural resource and environmental protection and land use.

3. Provide timely information and input to assist in the development of farm bill programmes and other legislation involving soil research and education priorities.

4. Enhance connection and interaction among public and private organisations, federal and state agencies and constituencies to accomplish the mission.

A recent report – Food Futures: Rethinking UK Strategy (Royal Institute of International Affairs 2009 ) – underlines the need for good soil management and policy in the light of the real potential that growth and demand will outstrip our increases in global food production.

There are many other examples. The message is clear – the need for national and international action on soils policy is unequivocal.

486 N. Schoknecht

26.1.2 A Soil Policy Vision

Managing the land so that we meet our current needs as well as proudly passing it on to future generations to satisfy their needs requires a signi fi cant and long-term commitment. A policy vision for Abu Dhabi, based on principles proposed for Australia by Campbell ( 2008 ) , could see “landscapes in which soil is conserved for its ecological values and the ecosystem services it provides, and soil health is enhanced for sustainable production and the betterment of its population”. In this vision, soil is just one component of an integrated and complementary natural resource system.

26.1.3 The Policy Challenge

Thus, for the current generation, our challenge is to develop more sustainable ways of:

Managing our soils in the face of environmental change and increasing demands • upon soil resources Restoring the productive capacity of degraded soils • Putting in place robust and resilient systems of land use and management that • prevent the further degradation of our soils and landscapes

26.1.4 Principles Underpinning Soil Policy

To achieve this vision and meet this challenge, and before a detailed action plan can be devised and implemented, a set of guiding principles is required. A following set of principles is suggested, but ultimately, these should be the product of govern-ment, industry and community discussion.

Guiding principles for a national soil policy:

1. Soil is a crucial natural asset, and sustainable management and protection of the soil resource is fundamental to our future prosperity.

2. Degradation of our soil resource is an ongoing issue resulting in partial or total loss of productivity and biodiversity (reducing capacity to provide ecosystem services from the land) and creating signi fi cant off-site impacts.

3. Prevention of soil degradation is nearly always substantially cheaper than the cost of restoration and in most cases is a much better investment.

4. It is the responsibility of individuals, communities, industries and governments to not knowingly degrade soil and/or water resources.

5. Soil management and policy decisions at all levels should be based on the best available knowledge, including knowledge from traditional owners, and should be evidence and science based.

48726 Application of Soil Survey in Land Use Planning and Policy Development

6. Sustainable soil management is most likely to be achieved through integrated approaches to sustainable agriculture and natural resource management (NRM) where long-term condition of the resource is built in as a core consideration.

7. Governments have a responsibility to provide an institutional framework that encourages and supports sustainable management and discourages unsus-tainable management of soil resources.

8. Industries that depend on the land have a responsibility to inform themselves about their impact on soil condition and to promote and support sustainable soil management practices within their industry.

9. With the right to own, manage and use land and soil, landholders accept a duty of care to prevent soil degradation that affects others and to implement manage-ment practices that maintain or improve soil condition and productive capacity.

10. Sustainable management of soil resources across the country requires coordina-tion, cooperation and collaboration among all levels of government in partnership with industry, land managers and the community, regardless of land tenure.

26.1.5 Land Use Planning and Soil Policy

Land use planning based on good soil information is an important process to help achieve sustainable use of soil and land resources – an ultimate aim of the policy process. The concepts of land capability and land suitability have been around for a considerable time (e.g. FAO 1976 ) . Fundamental to these concepts is the impor-tance of managing land within its capability to avoid degrading it. This requires an understanding of the inherent properties of the land and their spatial distribution at appropriate scales and accuracies. This is where high-quality soil and land informa-tion is a key underpinning dataset and where the importance of the Abu Dhabi soil survey (EAD 2009a, b ) is most pronounced.

26.2 Role of Soil Information in Informing Policy and Planning Decisions

High-quality land is a fi nite resource, and our demands on this resource are increasing. The average area of agricultural land per capita across the world has halved from 1961 to 2005 (Fig. 26.1 ). This trend is expected to continue.

The bulk of the world’s most productive lands has already been utilised, and there is likely to be an increasing move to more marginal land of lower quality. This marginal land is also usually more at risk from land degradation processes.

As the world moves towards using more land for agricultural production, it is essential that we know where the best land is, the opportunities it offers and its risks. This is where fundamental land resource information, such as that collected in the Abu Dhabi soil survey (EAD 2009a, b ) , is critical for planning future developments in a sustainable way.

488 N. Schoknecht

Land capability assessment, based on soil surveys and mapped spatially, has formed the basis of most approaches used to identify high-quality agricultural land and land suitability for other uses around Australia. In Australia, this information is used as layers in the planning process to determine optimum land uses. In an era of rapid growth and increasing pressure on land resources, agricultural land is increas-ingly threatened. Once the land with the greatest signi fi cance for agriculture is identi fi ed, it can be protected through planning controls. Land capability mapping, based on good soil information, also underpins identi fi cation of areas most suitable for urban nodes, industrial development, rural wedges and areas at degradation risk and requiring special protection.

Soil information that is consistent, standardised and captured at an appropriate scale is paramount. The Abu Dhabi soil survey ticks all these boxes, and this informa-tion will provide many bene fi ts into the future. If the experience in Australia is any guide, it will also provide unforeseen bene fi ts far beyond those originally planned.

As an example, a recent report on fi nding new opportunities for economic development in northern Australia has identi fi ed opportunities for development for a range of industries across northern Australia. Land resource information was a critical input to this study and will underpin planning to future developments. Full report is available at www.regional.gov.au/regional/ona/nalwt.aspx . An exam-ple of these fi ndings is shown in Fig. 26.2 .

An important learning in the southwest agricultural areas of Western Australia has been the need to provide planners with user friendly information interpreted from land capability mapping to suit their needs. We have learnt that planners do not have the capacity or time to do this. A good example is the identi fi cation of high-capability land for irrigated agriculture from land capability mapping, water resource information and industry knowledge. This land identi fi ed as high capa-bility for irrigated horticulture will be identi fi ed for protection from subdivision and changed land use in state planning policies.

Fig. 26.1 World hectares of agricultural land per capita, 1960–2005 (From: Food Futures: Rethinking UK Strategy (Royal Institute of International Affairs 2009 ) )

48926 Application of Soil Survey in Land Use Planning and Policy Development

26.3 The Need to Integrate Across Disciplines

The bene fi ts of well-managed soils and landscapes go far beyond healthy soils and a pro fi table agricultural sector. Well-considered and well-integrated policy at agriculture, environmental and health levels leads to healthier foods and lifestyle and ultimately a healthier population (Fig. 26.3 ). Hence, high-quality soil infor-mation, by informing and in fl uencing land management and policy, is a key to this outcome.

The logic is simple-healthy farms, healthy landscapes, healthy food, healthy people and healthy communities are all interconnected (Campbell 2009 ) .

Fig. 26.2 Case study – the potential for irrigated perennial crops in northern Australia (Wilson et al. 2009 ) . De fi nitions: class 1 – land with very high suitability for the purpose (in this case irrigated perennial crops), class 2 – high suitability, class 3 – moderate suitability, class 4 – low suitability and class 5 – very low or no suitability

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26.4 Conclusion and Next Steps

The soil survey of Abu Dhabi is a fundamental dataset for land use planning and achieving the sustainable use of the soil and land resource in Abu Dhabi. Assembling this dataset at a scale, accuracy and consistency required to support land use plan-ning and policy development is a signi fi cant achievement that should be applauded. Further steps are required to maximise its value. The survey tells us where the resource occurs and its properties. There is a need to interpret this information to meet the needs of land use planners and other clients in readily accessible products. A long-term programme to determine the status and trend in soil condition is also required with targets and indicators that de fi ne the resource condition we need to achieve to maintain productivity with all the fl ow-on ecosystem services the soil provides. We need to report on our success at achieving these targets and, if necessary, be prepared to change the way we manage the land to keep it within these targets.

This information needs to be integrated into policy and decision making in other disciplines. The next challenge for Abu Dhabi, and indeed all countries, is to ensure that we pass on our land to the next generation in as good or better condition than we received it and to build healthy communities in the process.

References

Campbell A (2008) Managing Australia’s soils: a policy discussion paper. Prepared for the National Committee on Soil and Terrain (NCST) through the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council (NRMSC), Australia. www.clw.csiro.au/aclep/publications/reports.htm

Fig. 26.3 Diagrammatic representation of the interconnection between agriculture, environment and health (Source: Tyrchniewicz and McDonald 2007 )

49126 Application of Soil Survey in Land Use Planning and Policy Development

Campbell A (2009) Converging insecurities: the water, energy, carbon and food nexus. Public lecture at the Australian Academy of Science, Canberra, 4 Nov 2009

Commission of the European Communities (2006a) Thematic strategy for soil protection. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/soil/pdf/com_2006_0231_en.pdf

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Commission of the European Communities (2008) Review of existing information on the inter-relations between soil and climate change. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/soil/pdf/climsoil_key_messages.pdf

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Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) (2009) Food futures: rethinking UK strategy. www.chathamhouse.org.uk/ fi les/13248_r0109foodfutures.pdf

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United Nations Environment Programme (2007) Global Environment Outlook - environment for development (GEO-4), UNEP, Nairobi, Kenya. www.unep.org/geo/geo4.asp

Wilson P, Ringrose Voase A, Jacquier D, Gregory L, Webb M, Wong M, Powell B, Brough D, Hill J, Lynch B, Schoknecht N, Grif fi n T (2009) Land and soil resources in Northern Australia, Northern Australia land and water science review. CSIRO, Canberra