Report

Objective "Zero net artificialization": which levers should be used to protect soils?

Biodiversity is currently undergoing massive and rapid erosion. The artificialization of soils is one of the main causes, because it destroys natural habitats and ecological continuities. It is, therefore, necessary to curb this phenomenon, and to renature artificial lands whenever possible.

Published on : 23/07/2019

Temps de lecture

1 minute

This is one of the aims of the biodiversity strategy, presented by the government in July 2018, which includes achieving "zero net artificialization" in the long term. France Stratégie offers solutions for achieving this goal. First and foremost: modify urban planning rules to encourage urban renewal and housing densification, and renature artificial spaces left abandoned.

Soil artificialization is defined as "any process involving the loss of natural, agricultural or forest areas (NAFA) resulting in a change in soil use and structure. To measure this process, it is possible to use land files, that is, cadastral data. However, they have the disadvantage of not taking into account transport infrastructure, thus underestimating the extent of the phenomenon.

In France, 20,000 hectares of natural areas are artificialized each year (on average between 2006 and 2016).

Housing accounts for 41.9% of artificialized land, road networks 27.8%, services and recreation infrastructures 16.2%.

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