Mitigation of soil degradation processes in the Slovak Republic within framework of UN Convention to combat desertification

Annex V to the Convention represents programme for countries of the Middle and East Europe, and besides drought mitigation creates frame for soil preservation against degradation processes. Knowledge on status, consequences and driving forces represents the start-point for definition of efficient measures that in integral form in context of UN CCD defines National Action Programme. Submitted paper focuses attention on problems with the soil degradation regarding particular soil use in agriculture, forestry, urban and industrial areas. The significance of soil threats in agricultural sector decreases in the order as: decrease of soil organic matter content > water erosion > subsurface compaction > acidification > wind erosion > pollution > salinization. Till now soil sealing mostly from agricultural sector has had tolerable extent but the present trend in development of foreign and national investment does not respect present legislation and new areas of agricultural soil without respect to their unique quality. Soils in the forestry sector are mostly affected by acidification and pollution. Soils in the urban or industrial areas are significantly affected by pollution and compaction. Soil degradation negatively influences the provision of soil environmental functions, biomass production inclusive. Improper use and following soil degradation is immediately connected with deterioration of other environmental issues (decrease of biodiversity, air and water pollution). Polluted urban soils immediately affect health status of citizens. Immediate reason of the soil degradation in agriculture is the insufficient application of the good agricultural practice principles and giving permanent precedence to production function over remaining ecological ones that is reflection of value criterion of the society. Forest cover and consecutively soils are affected by emissions and immissions from local sources or trans-boundary transfer. Status of urban soils is reflection to economic human activities considered as stability factor for employment and economic prosperity of individuals, groups and country. Sealing of the next agricultural soil for infrastructure building instead of brown fields restoration is also reflection of the value priorities of the society. Only a man has creative thinking that influences surrounding reality. From measures on mitigation of the soil degradation that are part of the upcoming National Action Programme to Convention is necessary to list: ­ creation and performance of information tools for strategic decision support, ­ creation of new strategic documents, actualisation of existing and development of new national legislation relevant to the Convention, ­ proposal and realisation of technical measures to mitigate soil degradation processes, ­ continual creation of a new knowledge through integrated research, ­ increase of environmental awareness of soil users and broader population, ­ support of regional cooperation and provision of professional aid to affected countries.