Global Partners in Contaminated Sites Management

Complex hazardous contamination of soil and water is obstructing sustainable re-development of previously industrialized urban land in Europe and in China. Although significant efforts have been put in place, a systematic and integrated approach for the sustainable management of contaminated sites is still lacking. In Europe, an increasing body of regulations (as the Soil Thematic Strategy, the Water Framework Directive, etc.) is aimed at establishing a common framework to protect human health and the environment from chemical hazards. Risk Based Land Management (RBLM) was introduced in EU member countries more than a decade ago, and has been increasingly integrated with ecosystem services (ES) to implement and communicate sustainability in RBLM. However, several key issues pertinent to ES used as a framework for sustainability still deserve careful evaluation. As a result of its rapid process of industrialization, also China is facing similar problems. Although the considerable efforts put in place by authorities, a systematic approach for the sustainable management of contaminated sites, integrating socio-economic analysis, risk assessment, and remediation technologies comparison, is still scarcely put into practice. Many remediation technologies have been poured into the Chinese market in recent years. However, improved competencies at grassroots level are needed for the adoption of the most appropriate ones. Finding proper financing approaches for contaminated sites management is also a challenging issue. Numerous regulations have been issued (e.g. Controlling standards for pollutants in sludges from agricultural use, Standards for irrigation water quality, Environmental quality risk assessment criteria for soil at manufacturing facilities). However, a sustainable management framework is yet to be defined.