Water & Soil
Heavily degraded soil following the 2019/20 bushfires at Dargan
Healthy Soil Helps Mitigate Disaster Risk
Improving soil health is vital for preventing and managing disasters, particularly as extreme weather events caused by climate change, such as droughts, floods and bushfires, become more common.
Healthy soil has a higher capacity for water storage. Improved water retention can mitigate the impact of floods and droughts while enhancing the environment's resilience to landslides and soil erosion. Soils with high water infiltration rates also support the growth of fire-resistant vegetation.
At the same time, natural hazards such as bushfires degrade soil, increasing the risk of erosion, landslides and flooding. Effective soil management and monitoring can significantly reduce disaster risks.