WWF Soil Report: Salzburg Leads on Soil Protection but Only Receives a Patchy Rating

Rating in Detail

The WWF states verbatim: Der WWF hat sich für den Bodenreport elf "wesentliche Handlungsfelder" der Raumplanungs- und Bodenpolitik der Bundesländer angesehen, unterteilt in die Subkategorien "Ziele der Raumplanung", "Schutz unverbauter Böden" und "Treiber des Bodenverbrauchs". This underscores that the assessment is not based on a single metric, but on several dimensions.

Behind Salzburg, the report places Burgenland and Lower Austria. The remaining federal states also have room for improvement, with the WWF criticizing different priorities depending on the region. In Vienna, for example, the high proportion of unsealed soils is highlighted, as these come under increasing pressure through densification and rezoning.

Three Subcategories Compared

Three subcategories form the backbone of the assessment. Regarding the objectives of spatial planning, the federal states have, according to the WWF, formulated binding requirements to varying degrees. The balance for the protection of unsealed soils is mixed, with gaps still reported by the authors in Tyrol and Vorarlberg. In the category of drivers of soil consumption, the WWF particularly evaluates the regulation of parking lots, shopping centers, and commercial areas.

The WWF emphasizes that the assessment shows how differently the federal states handle the scarce resource of soil. Soil is a finite resource that is under particular pressure in Austria, because land is newly claimed every day for settlements, transport, and business. The environmental organization therefore calls for binding caps on soil consumption as well as clear objectives in spatial planning.

Light and Shadow in Salzburg

Methodologically, the WWF evaluated data from the offices of the state governments, published strategy papers, and legislative amendments. In addition, statements from experts from administration, science, and civil society were incorporated. The eleven fields of action include, among others, spatial planning objectives, instruments to protect agricultural land, regulations for retail space, and requirements for inner development.

Salzburg is praised by the WWF for the amendment of the Spatial Planning Act with stricter zoning criteria and for its own dedicated soil monitoring. However, the grade "patchy" results from the fact that protected areas for untouched soils are lacking, and the expansion of commercial space continues to be handled generously. The authors speak of an interim step that alone is not sufficient to halt soil sealing.

For the incoming state governments, the WWF announces an update of the report, to be published every two years. The goal is to make developments in the federal states comparable and to make best-practice examples visible. The environmental organization sees this also as a basis for the ongoing negotiations on the amendment of Austria's federal spatial planning law.