The 7th International Conference of the Working Group Soils of Urban, Industrial, Traffic, Mining and Military Areas (SUITMA) of the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) was held in Torun, Poland, 16-20 September 2013.
Objective was to share the latest information and ideas from around the world in this exciting and important field.
Klaus Lorenz, fellow at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies, gave a talk on challenges to urban soil management based on the outcomes of the discussions at the first Global Soil Week. Together with SUITMA chairman Jean Louis Morel, he organized a Global Soil Forum Roundtable to collate input for the urban sessions at the second Global Soil Week.
Despite no population growth in Germany since 2003, about 80 ha of land are converted per day for housing and development. An area the size of Berlin is taken annually for urbanization and infrastructure in Europe. Globally, an area the size of South Africa may be needed by 2030 to house the additional population. Thus, soil functions lost to urbanization must be provided by soils in non-urban areas. The global soil footprint of urban areas must be reduced and soil-friendly urbanization practices be developed.
The conference was attended by about 100 participants mainly from soil science from all continents except Antarctica.
SUITMA8 will be held in October 2015 in Mexico.