What are Regenerative Principles for Soil, Water, and Air?

Regenerative principles for soil, water, and air are the first three of OASA's seven regenerative principles. These principles focus on actively improving the fundamental elements that support all life: healthy soil, clean water, and breathable air.

Unlike sustainability, which aims to maintain current conditions, these principles require active improvement of ecosystem health over time.

1. Soil: Building Living Soil

Healthy soil is the foundation of all terrestrial ecosystems. Regenerative soil practices include:

Building Soil Organic Matter

Increasing organic matter through agroforestry, cover crops, composting, and minimal tillage. Organic matter improves water retention, nutrient cycling, and microbial diversity.

Supporting Microbial Life

Creating conditions for diverse soil microbial communities through organic inputs, reduced chemical use, and diverse plant systems. Healthy soil contains billions of microorganisms per gram.

Preventing Erosion

Protecting soil from erosion through ground cover, agroforestry systems, and water retention landscapes that slow water flow.

Regenerative Agriculture Practices

Regenerative agriculture practices that build soil include:

• No-till or minimal tillage
• Cover crops and green manures
• Composting and organic amendments
• Diverse crop rotations
• Integration of trees and crops (agroforestry)

2. Water: Restoring the Hydrological Cycle

Water is essential for all life. Regenerative water practices include:

Water Retention Landscapes

Creating water retention landscapes that slow, spread, and sink water into the ground. This includes swales, ponds, terraces, and other earthworks that capture and infiltrate rainwater.

Recharging Aquifers

Restoring groundwater by allowing water to infiltrate rather than run off. This recharges aquifers and restores base flows in streams and rivers.

Rainwater Harvesting

Capturing and storing rainwater for use during dry periods, reducing dependence on external water sources and supporting ecosystem health.

Watershed Restoration

Restoring entire watersheds through rewilding, native vegetation, and water retention systems that restore natural hydrological cycles.

3. Air: Improving Air Quality

Clean air is essential for human and ecosystem health. Regenerative air practices include:

Carbon Sequestration

Planting trees and restoring vegetation that sequesters carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping mitigate climate change while improving air quality.

Tree Planting and Agroforestry

Agroforestry systems that integrate trees into agricultural landscapes, providing shade, wind protection, and air filtration while producing food and other products.

Reducing Emissions

Minimizing emissions from agricultural and community activities through renewable energy, efficient systems, and regenerative practices that reduce the need for fossil fuels.

Natural Air Filtration

Supporting natural air filtration through diverse vegetation that captures particulates and improves air quality.

Integration of Soil, Water, and Air

These three principles are deeply interconnected:

• Healthy Soil improves water retention and supports vegetation that cleans air
• Water Retention supports soil health and vegetation growth
• Clean Air supports plant growth and soil microbial life

Regenerative practices work together to create positive feedback loops that improve all three elements simultaneously.

Regenerative Principles in Practice

At Traditional Dream Factory, these principles are demonstrated through:

• Soil: Agroforestry systems building soil organic matter
• Water: 1.2 million liters of rainwater captured through water retention landscapes
• Air: Tree planting and carbon sequestration through diverse vegetation

Measuring Success

Success in these principles is measured by:

• Soil: Organic matter content, microbial diversity, water retention capacity
• Water: Infiltration rates, aquifer recharge, base flow in streams
• Air: Carbon sequestration, air quality metrics, vegetation cover

Related Terms

• Regenerative Principles - Complete framework of seven principles
• Water Retention Landscapes - Water management practices
• Agroforestry - Regenerative agriculture systems
• Regenerative Agriculture Commons Model - Agriculture in commons