Please download the Rapporteurs’ Report for this session here.
Both developed and developing countries are battling with a legacy of land contamination issues, often unknowingly. Even though contamination may be present, people remain on the land where they produce food and drink water, since they are either unaware of the contamination or cannot afford to move to healthier areas. While these issues may differ from country to country, the detection and monitoring of the extent of it are of utmost importance to human and environmental health. The session will illustrate the effect of soil pollution on human and environmental health in South Africa and the use of bio-indicators as an alternative, more affordable pollution detection method. It will then focus on the challenges and opportunities associated with gathering existing data and making it publicly available for decision-making in Belgium. A discussion will conclude the session on ideas for the way forward and the establishment of Soil Health Centres for monitoring and improving soil quality.
You may also be interested in the following Lunch Break Forum (LBF) contributions:
–> LBF-04: How to brand soils?
–> LBF-06: Student initiatives in Southern Africa in the fight against land degradation
–> LBF-10: Volunteer Soil Doctors in Thailand
Download the session description here.
Programme
Contact: Amy Green