Socio-economic roots of soil degradation

Soil, similarly to other natural resources, is used by human for safeguarding his harmonic life. Mentioned natural resource should remain for disposal in the same/adequate quality even to future generations. Despite this the existing status of soil quality is still fare from the desired reality. Immediate reasons of soil degradation are often remarkable and attract attention of soil scientists and policy makers. To them belong: - insufficient respect to the principles of a good agricultural/forest practice and relevant legislation - giving long-term precedence to the importance of production function over the other ecological ones - lack of utilisable information on soil protection in individual economic sectors - lack of broad public awareness in protection of soil as a natural resource - the economic activities affect soil quality not only in industrial and urban areas, but also in an agricultural and forest sector - migration of rural population to the cities - building of infrastructure, industrial enterprises and parks for provision of permanent economic growth - misunderstanding of the essence of ownership relations to the soil. Behind immediate reasons of soil degradation it is possible to find deeper causes, closely related to human thinking and activities. Favouring economic view in contrast to environment, private and group interests to cross societal ones, short term benefits to long-term ones, promotion of excessive consumption as well as permanent need to increase the economic growth of individuals or purpose-built groups - that all are masked driving forces of soil and environment degradation necessary to take in account at provision of the sustainable soil use. There is still great resistance to accept close relationship of people with environment of Earth and its skin - soil. All reasons of soil and land degradation are the result of human activities that through creative thinking permanently affects surrounding reality. Till now, the human has intensively changed the state of environment that is reflected in the soil degradation. From the mentioned reason, it is the highest time to start the positive changes of the human himself.