Soil Analytical Capabilities for Sustainable Land Management Across National Soil Services in the Mediterranean

Areej Al-Khreisat, Jawad Al-Bakri, Mais Atiyat (), Muhammad Rasool Al-Kilani, Ibrahim Farhan, Claudio Zucca and Wala Khudairat
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Areej Al-Khreisat: School of Agriculture, Department of Land, Water and Environment, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan
Jawad Al-Bakri: School of Agriculture, Department of Land, Water and Environment, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan
Mais Atiyat: School of Agriculture, Department of Land, Water and Environment, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan
Muhammad Rasool Al-Kilani: School of Agriculture, Department of Land, Water and Environment, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan
Ibrahim Farhan: School of Arts, Department of Geography, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan
Claudio Zucca: Department of Agricultural Sciences and Centre for Sustainable Management of Soil and Landscape (SMSL), University of Sassari (Italy), Viale Italia 39, 07100 Sassari, Italy
Wala Khudairat: School of Agriculture, Department of Land, Water and Environment, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 18, 1-16

Abstract: Soil monitoring is essential for pursuing several sustainable development goals including ‘Zero Hunger’ and ‘Life on Land’. This study examined the status of national soil monitoring laboratories in Mediterranean countries through a multi-country survey to assess strengths and gaps. The results showed that most national soil labs performed basic tests related to soil health and agricultural management, such as texture, pH, and nutrient analysis. However, fewer labs performed more specific tests that are also relevant to these applications such as compaction and biological analysis. Furthermore, tests required for assessing soil pollution, such as heavy metals, were conducted only by few labs. This was mostly due to a lack of equipment like atomic absorption spectrometers. In total, 75% of labs reported good quality of the instruments and frequent calibration. The staff were generally well qualified, with most holding graduate degrees, and women comprised 58% of the staff. Many national services started using electronic reports and provided result interpretation for end users, but not all used lab information systems. The findings highlight the need for better equipment, more advanced testing, and stronger digital management systems. Addressing these issues will help harmonize soil data and support sustainable land management and agriculture in the region.

Keywords: soil laboratories; data harmonization; soil monitoring; national soil services; Mediterranean region (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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