Lower Austrian World Soil Celebration at Kaumberg - on December 3, 2009

„In all of Europe, Lower Austria makes up most of the members of the European Land and Soil Alliance. Regions, municipalities and schools are committed to soil protection. Soil is of crucial importance for the production of our food and for climate protection" emphasized Landesrat of Environmental Affairs, Dr. Stephan Pernkopf on the occasion of a festive event within the framework of the 2009 World Soil Day.

A healthy and living soil improves our climate balance!

The amount of carbon sequestration in soil, which makes up more than 75 billions of tons in Europe, by far surpasses the total amount of carbon in the atmosphere and vegetation! This leads to the conclusion: Our soil is of crucial importance in climate protection, too!

Working for Soil Protection: 61 Lower Austrian members of the European Land and Soil Alliance

Since 2003, in Lower Austria a total of 61 partners (56 municipalities and five organizations and associations) have entered the European Land and Soil Alliance, beside the Province of Lower Austria. Thus more than half of the members of this Alliance stem from Lower Austria. As the first member region of the European Land and Soil Alliance, the waste and environmental protection association of the region of Lilienfeld entered the European Land and Soil Alliance.

„World Soil Celebration": Colourful Event shows Variety of Soil

Every year on December 5, the World Soil Day is celebrated. This year, a "World Soil Celebration" was prepared by the municipality of Kaumberg (district of Lilienfeld) in cooperation with the Department of Rural Development and the "Climate Alliance Wienerwald". 20 information stands offered broad information for children and adults. Within the framework of the event, member of the provincial parliament Franz Rennhofer, Eng. in representation of Landesrat of Environmental Affairs, Dr. Stephan Pernkopf handed over the "soil plate" to the municipality of Kaumberg.

Soil focus in 2010

In the next year, the topic of soil protection in the main focus region "Climate Alliance Wienerwald in the biosphere reserve" will increasingly serve as a topic of discussion. Through workshops for educational institutions, painting competitions and well-aimed information for municipalities, the public and the responsible persons in the municipalities shall learn more about soil, its use, and its value, in order to be able to subsequently contribute to an increased awareness of soil themselves.

Contact for further information: Lower Austrian Provincial Government, Department of Rural Development

Dr. Erwin Szlezak, e-mail: info@unserboden.at, soil phone: +43 (0)2742/9005 ext. 9070