Official Website

https://ctp.org/es/alianza-de-suelos-de-los-pirineos-aspir/ (ES)

https://www.opcc-ctp.org/fr/noticia/enquete-alliance-des-sols-pyreneens (FR)

Chair and Steering committee

Chair: Jokin del Valle de Lersundi, Spanish Society of Soil Science (SECS), jokindelvalle@yahoo.es
Vice-chair: Jacques Thomas, Association Française pour l’Étude du Sol (AFES), president@afes.fr
Secretary: Agnès Lladós, Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunya (ICGC), Agnes.Llados@icgc.cat
CTP: Jean-Louis Valls (delegate Eva Garcia-Balaguer OPCC-CTP)
Representatives from the 7 regions

The Steering Committee is in charge of defining the strategic orientation (ToR) and monitoring ASPir activities. Coordinators of the working groups and a representative from each of the regions, ensure a maximum diversity of entities like public, private, associations, research organizations, natural parks.

Working groups:
GT1: Soil information
GT2: Dissemination - Awareness
GT3: Soil Degredation

Membership

Membership to ASPir is "voluntary". Therefore, the actions depend on the support and resources of the partners.

Currently there are 38 partners from the 7 regions. Among the adherents there are mainly public administrations, universities, research centers, public companies, professional associations, natural parks and individuals.

Membership is acomplished by filling in a “partnership agreement” https://ctp.org/fr/lalliance-des-sols-des-pyrenees-continue-de-recevoir-de-nouvelles-adhesions/

Countries

France, Spain, Andorra

Objectives

To establish a Network of entities and people for cross-border cooperation in the field of soils, to share knowledge, experiences, awareness, commitment and interest in the soils of the Pyrenees.

Specific objective is to have soil information (maps and databases) homogeneous for the entire mountain range. This will permit:

• To know the characteristics and location of the different types of soil in the Pyrenees
• To establish which are the best managements for the different uses and situations
• The comparison and exchange of experiences between the different territories on a well-established basis
• To Know the organic carbon content of soils and their sequestration capacity
• To increase its water and hydrological regulation capacity and its resistance to degradation processes such as erosion, compaction, leaching, etc.
• To disseminate and involve the true managers of the soil, that is, farmers and foresters, as well as the administration related to these activities, of the Alliance's initiatives and training proposals
• The stablishment of working groups for the development of these different objectives

Global Soil Partnership / European Soil Partnership

The ASPir has to work in coordination with the regional alliances of the FAO, of the European Soil Partnership (ESP), and its activities should have the support of the Secretariat of the Global Soil Partnership

History and Activities

The ASPir (Allianza de Suelos de los Pirineos) was launched on 27.05.2021 and has 20 partners (incl. Institut d’Estudis Andorrans).
2020 Promoting group of the ASPir
27/05/2021. ASPir First Assambly (online)
14/12/2021. ASPir Second Assembly
05/07/2022. ASPir Third Assembly

About the specificis of the Pyrenees

The soils of the Pyrenees present an enormous soil diversity, with multiple functions and properties that must be guaranteed, conserved or restored, for the health of the ecosystem and human well-being. Faced with climate change and other environmental and anthropogenic threats, these soils are highly fragile, which makes them a non-renewable resource on a human scale.

The current situation of soil management in the Pyrenees is very heterogeneous, since they are spread over 3 countries and different regions or autonomous communities with very different laws and regulations. This situation generates the need to have agreed guidelines or principles of action with respect to soils, which allow applying sustainable management practices trying to balance the different demands for use in a harmonious way.

Aridity