Drain of land resources

Since the beginning of the 90’s, the settlement- and traffic area has increased about 8 hectare per day in the Free State of Saxony. The whole extent of the area used for economical (settlement) purposes reached in 2005 more than 11,7 % (=215.912 hectare) of the country’s territory. For this reason the consumption of the natural resource soil is much higher compared to the federal average. The »reduction of land usage« features a high priority for the environment. Next to ecological aspects like the increase of soil sealing and the so connected destruction of natural soil functions as well as a growing claim and cut of the free space, there are also economical and social allowance for a reduction of land usage and sustainable land utilisation.

The Saxon State Agency of Environment and Geology attends to this topic regarding the current demands and responsibilities. In the following chapters the existing and used materials of the LfUG will be mentioned and provided availably:

• Guideline soil protection in planning- and approval procedure in the Free State Saxony (2001, update takes place presently)
• Saxon instrument for soil estimation (2005)
• Study »Communal land use management in congested areas of Saxony« (2004)