Potential of unsealing as compensation measures for impaired soil functions

Increasing urbanisation and soil sealing intensify the effects of climate change and weather extremes in settlement areas, and also strongly affect Austria. Land use minimises permeable, productive soils and thus infiltration and CO2 storage. Hydrological and biological soil functions are impaired or, in the case of full sealing, completely destroyed. On the other hand, rainwater management is largely characterised by grey solutions. The state of the art lags behind international adaptations considering nature-based alternatives. In addition to preserving the quantity and quality of soils by reducing land use, measures for compensation, land restoration and unsealing are urgently required to counteract this. The elaboration of concepts for unsealing in line with the soil strategy for Austria requires the preparation of a scientific basis and assessment of potentials. This project proposal is specifically dedicated to the topic of unsealing in Austria and what relevant measures can contribute to compensating for lost soil functions (cooling, groundwater recharge, surface runoff neutrality). The aim of PotEnt is to create an information base for Austria, to highlight unsealing potential and to support practical implementation. To this end, PotEnt is developing (A) a basis for unsealing as a restoration or compensation measure, (B) an approach for evaluating unsealing measures with the involvement of experts and stakeholders, and (C) recommendations for unsealing in Austria. The results are (1) an Austria-wide unsealing map with priorities, (2) a method for quantifying the effect of unsealing on the cooling function and water balance, and (3) target-group-specific recommendations and a basis for measures for municipalities, stakeholders and policy-makers.