Natalia Eugenio Rodriguez Seventh session of the GSP Plenary Assembly | 5 - 7 June 2019 | FAO HQ, Rome, Italy

1. Progress on the
implementation of
GSOP18 outcome document
Natalia Rodriguez Eugenio

2. Recommendation 1: support the development and
implementation of tools and guidelines that would
support the prevention and remediation of soil
pollution (e.g. Fertilizer Code).
Recommendation 2: include soil pollution assessment
and minimization measures in Soil Doctors.
Recommendation 3: advocate for the implementation
of existing guidelines (e.g. Codex Alimentarius,
VGSSM, Pesticide Code, GAP on Antimicrobial
Resistance).
Recommendation 4: develop guidelines for assessing,
mapping, monitoring and reporting on soil
pollution.
GSOP18:Recommendations

3. Recommendation 5: develop guidelines for the
management of polluted soils, including a database
of good practices for addressing soil pollution.
Recommendation 6: implement capacity building and
training activities covering the full cycle of soil
pollution.
Recommendation 7: implement the activities of the
GLOSOLAN, including harmonized methods to
identify and measure soil contaminants.
Recommendation 8: prepare a Global Assessment of
the Status of Soil Pollution using a country-driven
process in line with the UNEA3 resolution.
GSOP18:Recommendations

4. Recommendation4 Guidelines for assessing, mapping,
monitoring and reporting on soil pollution
50
10
8
5
4
3
3
2
Europe
NENA
Africa
South and Central America
North America
Eurasia
Asia
Pacific
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Participants
Total of participants
85

5. Chapter 1. Introduction
Chapter 2. Defining the problem
Chapter 3. Environmental and Human Health Risk
Assessment Framework
Chapter 4. Sampling strategy (and soil analysis)
Chapter 5. Mapping soil pollution
Chapter 6. Monitoring soil pollution
Chapter 7. Reporting soil pollution and communicating
risks
Chapter 8. Knowledge gaps
Recommendation4 Guidelines for assessing, mapping,
monitoring and reporting on soil pollution

6.  All chapters under development
 Progress slower than expected
 Planned deadline should be postponed or…
 More resources needed to support its
preparation from the GSP Secretariat
Recommendation4 Guidelines for assessing, mapping,
monitoring and reporting on soil pollution

7. Database of good practices for managing
and remediating soil pollution
Recommendation5
32
6
5
5
4
3
3
2
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Europe
Africa
South and Central America
NENA
Asia
Pacific
Eurasia
North America
Participants
Total of participants
60

8. Database of good practices for managing
and remediating soil pollution
Chapter 1. Introduction
Chapter 2. The inadequate control of soil pollution and
the cost of inaction
Chapter 3. Definition of polluted soil
Chapter 4. Contaminants characteristics
Chapter 5. Management and adaptation to soil pollution
Chapter 6. BAT to remediate point source pollution
Chapter 7. BAT to remediate diffuse soil pollution
Chapter 8. Recommendations for sites with mixed
pollution
Chapter 9. Site-specific alternatives analysis
Chapter 10. Sustainable remediation
Recommendation5

9. Database of good practices for managing
and remediating soil pollution
 Four chapters are still orphan
 Progress slower than the other document
 Complex to summarize relevant information and
use appropriated language (too scientific)
 More support needed from the GSP Secretariat to
make this DB a success
 It has a huge potential, nothing similar exist
Recommendation5

10. Responding to:
• UNEA3 resolution “Managing soil pollution to
achieve sustainable development”
• GSOP18 outcome document “Be the solution
to soil pollution”
• The 6th Plenary Assembly endorsed it and
recommended to involve member countries
Recommendation8 Assessment of the global status and
regional trends of soil pollution

11. 85 responses so far
from 58 countries
Recommendation8 Assessment of the global status and
regional trends of soil pollution
https://forms.gle/FQTd6nh1FY9RxLET7

12. Global status of soil pollution.
Country responses

13. Chapter 1: Setting the scene
Chapter 2: Sources of soil pollution (bibliographic review)
Chapter 3: The health and economic costs of soil pollution
(bibliographic review supported by questionnaire)
Chapter 4: Global status of soil pollution (bibliographic review
supported by questionnaire)
Chapter 5: Regional trends of soil pollution (questionnaire
supported by bibliographic review)
Chapter 6: Actions to tackle soil pollution (questionnaire
supported by bibliographic review)
Chapter 7: The path ahead
Recommendation8 Assessment of the global status and
regional trends of soil pollution

14.  Report to be prepared by the GSP Secretariat
together with:
 UN Environment
 WHO
 Regional workshops to be organized to discuss
results, conclusions and recommendations
(only if funds available!!)
 Final report to be presented at the UNEA5  high
importance to get a global agreement on the need
of urgently tackling soil pollution
Recommendation8 Assessment of the global status and
regional trends of soil pollution

15. •Lack of awareness about the
questionnaire and its importance
•Lack of response from official sources
•Lack of resources to initiate the report
•How to address all the topics that need
to be covered? Need of prioritization
Recommendation8
Major constraints at the moment

16. • Ensure your country's response to the
questionnaire
• Review of the first draft of the report (oct
2019)
• Contribute to the organization and
participate in the regional workshops where
main findings and conclusions will be
presented and discussed (end of 2019)
• Contribute to finalize the report (1st quarter
2020)
Recommendation8
Role of the PA in the GASP

17.  Soil pollution is an important issue in many parts
of the world, but not enough attention has been
drawn to it.
 Contribute to raise awareness on soil pollution
risks
 Support the GSP Secretariat to seek synergies and
cooperation with other international panels and
NGOs (SurF, NICOLE, COMMON FORUM, Pure
Earth, etc.)
GSOP18:Recommendations Role of the PA in the GSOP18
implementation

19. Country nº Country nº Country nº
Algeria 1 Ethiopia 2 Pakistan 1
Armenia 1 Eswatini 2 Panamá 1
Australia 1 Finland 1 Perú 1
Bahrain 1 Gabon 1 Philippines 2
Bangladesh 2 Georgia 2 Portugal 2
Belarus 1 Germany 2 Republic of North Macedonia 2
Belgium - Wallonia 1 Guinee 1 São Tomé e Príncipe 1
Belgium - Flanders 1 Greece 1 Senegal 1
Belgium - Brussels India 2 Slovak Republic 1
Bolivia 1 Italy 2 South Africa 2
Brazil 2 Iraq 1 Spain 2
Bulgaria 1 Lesotho 4 Sweden 1
Burkina Faso 3 Lebanon 1 Switzerland 1
China 1 Liberia 1 Syria 1
Colombia 1 Marshall Islands 1 Thailand 1
Cook Islands 1 Moldova 1 Togo 1
Cuba 1 Mongolia 1 Tonga 1
D. R. of Congo 2 Nepal 1 Trinidad and Tobago 1
Ecuador 3 Niger 1 Ukraine 1
El Salvador 1 Nigeria 4 Zimbabwe 1