Policies & regulations for soil erosion

Many of the policies and regulations on soil degradation also apply to soil erosion. At the European level, the Soil Monitoring Directive requires member states to monitor soil erosion. In the Netherlands, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management is responsible for national soil policy, but soil users themselves also carry a strong responsibility for taking appropriate measures. Among soil users are the Dutch government, Rijkswaterstaat, local authorities, water boards, and land users such as farmers.

Measures to manage soil erosion focus on reducing the erosive force of water and wind, or on increasing the resilience of soils to erosion. These measures are embedded in several Dutch policies, including the Environment and Planning Act, the National Water Programme 2022-2027, the Programmatic Approach to Great Waters, and Integral River Management.

For water erosion, measures mainly aim to reduce surface runoff and increase soil cover. Examples include sand nourishment, crop and soil management, and water retention. For wind erosion, measures focus on reducing wind speed at the soil surface, increasing surface roughness, or improving soil cover. Examples include installing windbreaks, soil protection, crop and soil management, and reducing the size of agricultural fields.