Every year on December 5th, people celebrate World Soil Day to raise awareness of the critical role that soil plays in supporting life on Earth.
The 2024 topic, “Caring for Soils: Measure, Monitor, and Manage,
Highlights how crucial it is to gather precise soil data in order to promote sustainable soil management, which is essential for ensuring food security.
In order to benefit both people and the environment, this day seeks to increase awareness of the importance of preserving healthy ecosystems, tackling soil issues, promoting improved soil management.
Since more than 95% of the food we eat comes from soil, it is a vital resource. Carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and water regulation are all facilitated by healthy soils.
However, a third of the world’s soils are degraded due to the tremendous pressures placed on them by pollution, bad agricultural methods, deforestation, population increase.
This deterioration has an adverse effect on food production, promotes soil erosion, and endangers biodiversity. Ecosystem services, climate action, sustainable food systems all depend on healthy soils.
Soil is a living environment, not just dirt. It contains bacteria that aid in the breakdown of organic materials, water filtering and nutrient cycling. Plants are supported by healthy soil.
Additionally, it strengthens resistance to floods and droughts. Because it stores carbon and reduces greenhouse gas emissions, soil is essential to the fight against climate change.
However, population pressures, ineffective governance, and unsustainable land management are the main causes of soil deterioration.
Renewing land practices are a useful ally in the fight against climate change because they can improve the health of the soil and increase its capacity to store carbon. Increasing farmer awareness is essential to enhancing soil health.
Improving soil quality and cutting expenses can be achieved by teaching them soil management strategies like utilizing organic matter and minimizing chemical inputs. One such program is the Soil Health Card Scheme, which was introduced by the Indian government.
Programs for soil conservation are also essential for halting erosion, restore fertility, and guaranteeing the long-term viability of agriculture. To be genuinely successful, these initiatives must adopt a bottom-up strategy that involves local farmers in learning about and putting sustainable techniques into practice.
To sum up, soil is an essential non-renewable resource for the security of food, water, and energy. Both the ecosystem and human well-being depend on maintaining and improving soil health. We must all acknowledge the role that soil plays in supporting life and take steps to protect it.
