World’s Soil Resources

In total, about 7 percent (or around 5 500 km²) of the country area is occupied by buildings or transport
infrastructures, and about 56 percent of this area is sealed. About half of the new residential buildings in 2001
were single family dwellings or semi-detached houses which, in comparison to multi-family residences or
other high-density structures, occupy a considerably larger surface area (Umweltbundesamt, 2006). In the
period 2012-2014, the average increase in built-up areas was about 19 ha day -1 . This resulted in a daily increment
of soil actually sealed of 10 ha in 2012 and 2014. This figure still exceeds by a factor eight the relevant policy
target (Umweltbundesamt, 2007a). These high rates may lead to the saturation of the available space in some
regions. In Vorarlberg, for example, 29 percent of the permanent settlement area is already built-up.
These increases are due to changes in the standard of living and in lifestyles and to the development of
associated settlement and transport activities, rather than to population growth. This is particularly evident
in rural regions where the built-up area continues to grow despite a net decrease in population.
Hydro-geological risks
Erosion and erosion control have been a major issue for a long time in Austria, due to the country’s specific
geo-morphological configuration. More than 60 percent of the territory is occupied by mountains. The focus
of past and current activities is on the control of torrents and avalanches, as these are major threats to human
life in alpine environments (Strauss and Klaghofer, 2006).
According to BMLFUW (Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water
Managemen 2 ), about 67 percent of the territory may be classified as either part of a torrent watershed,
avalanche watershed or a general risk area. The regional coverage ranges from 16 percent in Burgenland to
91 percent in Tyrol. The amount of budget available for measures against these risks increased from 70 million
EUR in 2001 to 148 million EUR in 2009.
In case of extraordinary weather conditions (heavy rainfalls), floods happen occasionally in the floodplains
of eastern Austria. The flood events in August 2002 affected large parts of the national territory. Particularly
Upper Austria and Lower Austria suffered heavy damage, as floods reached areas that were previously
considered as safe. More details on this event can be found in the special chapter on floods of the 7th national
State of Environment report (Umweltbundesamt, 2004).
Cross-cutting issues
Brownfields
In general, the remediation of contaminated sites based on fit-for-use remediation goals should be seen not
only as bringing an improvement to the status of the environment through the restoration of soil functions but
also as bringing benefits to economy and society. In Austria, there is a potential for brownfield redevelopment.
The average consumption of green-field areas for housing and traffic was 7 ha day -1 in 2014. On the other hand,
only 37 percent of the national territory is suitable for permanent settlements.
According to an unofficial definition, brownfields are sites of formerly industrial or commercial land, now
derelict or underused, or sites that have been affected by former uses of the site or surrounding land. The
latter may require intervention before they can be returned to beneficial use, particularly where there are
contamination problems. The number of brownfield sites in Austria is in the range of 3 000-6 000, covering
an area between 8 000 and 13 000 ha. According to estimates based on their previous use, about 85 percent
of the industrial brownfield sites may present no or little contamination problem and could be revitalised and
reused without public funding for remediation.
2 http://www.bmlfuw.gv.at/en.html
Status of the World’s Soil Resources | Main Report Regional Assessment of Soil Changes
348
in Europe and Eurasia