European Soil Bureau Network Plenary Meeting European Society for Soil Conservation: An International Network to Improve Soil Protection José L. Rubio.

European Soil Bureau Network

Plenary Meeting

European Society for Soil Conservation: An International Network to Improve Soil

Protection

José L. RubioESSC PresidentCentro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación-CIDEValencia, Spain

London17-19 Oct 2005

ESSC MISSION

• The European Society for Soil Conservation was founded on 4th November 1988 (Leuven,Belgium) to promote soundly based policies of soil conservation in its broadest sense throughout the countries of Europe.

• The ESSC pursues its aims by: supporting investigations of soil degradation, soil

erosion, and soil conservation, informing the public about major questions of soil

conservation, collaborating with institutions and persons involved in

practical conservation work.

ESSC FOUNDATION

• Consciousness of soil degradation as a European problem

• Need to develop conservation policies• Need to take out soil problems from the academic

world and bring them to the large public• Emphasis on agricultural related problems• Multidisciplinarity• Overall enthusiasm

FIRST EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

• President: J. de Ploey• Vice-Presidents: M. Sala, R.P.C. Morgan• Secretary/Treasurer: G. Richter• Members: G. Monnier, N. Misopolinos, H.R. Bork

FIRST ESSC COUNCIL

G. Chisci, M. Azevedo-Coutinho, A. Gonçales-Ferreira, D. Gabriels, I. Hakansson, L. Hansen, A. Imeson, J.P. Latridou, M. Rohdenburg, J.L. Rubio, U. Schwertmann, N. Silleos, H. Sticher, J. Thornes

FIRST EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING

6-8 May 1989, Barcelona (Spain)FORMULATION OF ESSC STATUTES

FIRST ACTIVITIES(President Jan de Ploey)

• Reports from different countries• Exchange of information• Reports on new technologies, models, books, …• Scientific co-operation with the Stering Group for soil

Erosion and Soil Conservation of DG VI of EU• Scientific co-operation with the Mediterranean

Erosion Study Group• Spectacular initial growth

• “Initial motivation of a new Society will be gone”

• Forum for scientist, planners and managers • From the Atlantic Ocean to the Ural • Important contributions from Eastern

countries • Not success in attracts farmers, the general

public and decision makers

1992-1996: Presidency of Prof. Dr. R.P.C. Morgan 

1992-1996

• Scientific co-operation with Réseau Erosion • Reviews, scientific notes, research reports, thesis,… • Co-operation with the Council of Europe • Award of Young Scientists: The “Jean de Ploey Prize”,

March 1993 • Country Reports: Norway, Hungary, Belgium, Spain,

Denmark • ESSC Awards 1996: - Outstanding contribution to soil

conservation. • Second International ESSC Congress “Development and

Implementation of Soil Conservation Strategies for Sustainable Soil Use”. 1-7 September, 1996. Freising (Germany)

1996- 1999: Presidency of Prof. Dr. Gerold Richter

• Scientific Co-operation with the Fifth Framework Programme of the European Commission

• Consolidation of relationship with Eastern Countries • ESSC Task Forces

• Country Report : Norway, The Balaton Project (Hungary,Germany, MEDALUS)

• Publication Agreement with CAB International

• Third ESSC International Congress “Man and Soil at the Third Millennium”. 28 March-31 April, 2000. Valencia (Spain)

III International Congress

“Man and Soil at the Third Millenium”

President: J.L. RubioPresident: J.L. Rubio

28 March – 1 April 2000Valencia (SPAIN)

Challenges and opportunities

• Incorporating new technologies and approaches• The concept of soil quality for soil multiuses and soil

multifunctions• Soil as a crucial link of global environmental problems

like desertification, climate change, water management and loss of biodiversity

• The need to develop new approaches to soil conservation like bioengineering, which are more ecologically adapted

• The role of soil as climate regulating system• Soil as the main source of food: new fertility concepts

in a more ecological agriculture

ESSC Awards

The ESSC honours major individual contributions to soil conservation through two awards made every four years at its Congresses. The awards are:

In recognition of outstanding contributions to soil conservation and protection in Europe: “Gerold Richter Award”

Young Person’s Award

ESSC Newsletter

•Members receive a newsletter four times a year. The newsletter includes reports on erosion research and conservation projects, reports of meetings, letters, requests for information, announcements of forthcoming meetings and other Society activities, summaries of theses and reviews of publications.

•The newsletter also publishes occasional editions containing collections of papers around a theme. Recent thematic issues have been on The Lake Balaton Project; Soil Management in Norway; Soil Erosion, Soil Pollution and Soil Conservation Practices in Greece

•Contributions to the newsletter are accepted in English, French, German and Spanish.

ESSC Task Forces

The society has established a series of Task Forces to investigate important soil conservation problems.

Current Task Forces are concerned with: Soil quality criteria - indicators Soil erosion map of Europe Tolerable soil losses Data bank on erosion plot studies Rainfall erosivity map of Europe Snowmelt erosion and soil conservation Water conservation Long-term effect of land use on soil erosion in a historical perspective Research review for effective soil and water conservation• Traditional Soil and Water Conservation Systems

Executive Committee

PresidentProf. Dr. José Luis Rubio, Valencia, Spain

Vice-PresidentsDr. Adám Kertész, Budapest, HungaryProf. Dr. Carmelo Dazzi, Palermo, Italy

SecretaryProf. Dr. Pavol Bielek, Bratislava, Slovakia

TreasurerDr. Wim Cornelis, Gent, Belgium

Co-TreasurerProf. Dr. Donald Gabriels

Editor in ChiefDr. A. Mike Fullen, Wolverhampton WVI ISB, GB

Co Editors for Spanish and GermanProf. Dr. Antonio Rodriguez, Murcia, Spain

Prof. Dr. Nicola Fohrer, Kiel, GermanyMembers

Dr. Gerard Govers, Leuven, BelgiumProf. Dr. Ildefonso Pla Sentis, Spain

Dr. Silvia Tobias, Zϋrich, Switzerland Dr. Per Schjonning, Tjele, Denmark

SOME UPCOMINGSOME UPCOMINGACTIVITIESACTIVITIES

I World Conference of Representatives of International Soil Organizations

“ New Soil Science Paradigms”

Valencia, Spain 13-15 Noviembre 2006

Changing Soils in a Changing World:the Soils of Tomorrow

The presented papers will be focussed on the following The presented papers will be focussed on the following

main areas:main areas:

•Soil erosion;Soil erosion;

•Soil contamination;Soil contamination;

•Soil sealing;Soil sealing;

•Soil compactation;Soil compactation;

•Soil biodiversity;Soil biodiversity;

•Soil salinization;Soil salinization;

•Soil consumption;Soil consumption;

•Soil policy;Soil policy;

•Anthropogenic soils;Anthropogenic soils;

•Socio-economic aspects of soil degradationSocio-economic aspects of soil degradation;;

•…………………………....

¡¡Still on Time¡¡

The Future

• Better consideration of soil problems

• Promoting highest scientific quality

• New soil conservation paradigms and approaches

• European base: EU Soil Protection

• Links with other International Soil Society

• Incorporating soil problems to the Global Agenda

www.essc.skwww.essc.sk

Thanks for your attention ¡¡¡Thanks for your attention ¡¡¡

and…and…

If you wish to joint ESSC:If you wish to joint ESSC:

THE FIRST THREE YEARS (1989-1991)

• Statutes

• Meetings Executive/Council

• Steady growth: 450 members

• Period of rooting

• Publications of proceedings.....

• Bridge to former “Eastern European Countries”

Some Problems

• The lack of good basic data on soils, climate and socio-economies

• The lack of long-term experimental work• The need for more attention to some erosion process

like those generated from torrential rain which produces massive soil displacement

• The need to consider the economics of soil erosion• The lack of succes in attracting farmers, planners and

managers; and• The weakness of erosion predictions

OBJECTIVES:OBJECTIVES:

The main objectives of the 5The main objectives of the 5thth ESSC International ESSC International

Congress is to promote exchange and discussion about Congress is to promote exchange and discussion about

the problems that affect the soils due to the pressure the problems that affect the soils due to the pressure

of Man on Soils and Landscape that year after year is of Man on Soils and Landscape that year after year is

becoming more and more evident and to stimulate the becoming more and more evident and to stimulate the

soil awareness in the civil society.soil awareness in the civil society.