'Soils a solid ground for life'
The World Soil Day
Introduction:
The World
Soil Day Soil is vital for farming and food security.
Soil deserved some respect, unfortunately often,
most people treated with soil like dirt.
What's the Soil?
Soil is made up of organic remains,
clay and rock particles, found on the Earth’s surface. It contributes to food,
reduces biodiversity loss, and secures energy.
Problems
like deforestation, bad agricultural practices and pollution causes soil
degradation and erosion.
The
UN saw a need to raise awareness about
the dangers of soil loss, so it made World Soil Day and official day. It was
first celebrated on December 5, 2012, which corresponded with the birthday of
Thai king Bhumibol Adulyadej, who officially sanctioned the event.
Soils have been neglected for too long. We fail
to connect soil with our food, water, climate, biodiversity and life. We must
invert this tendency and take up some preserving and restoring actions.
Aim of the World Soil Day:
The
World Soil Day campaign aims to connect people with soils and raise awareness
on their critical importance in our lives.
To
raise awareness of the importance of soil and the need to use it
sustainably, the United Nations has declared 2015 as International Year of
Soils.
What We Do?
Thousands of soil scientists and
organizations, like the International Union of Soil Sciences, promote the day
via social media, YouTube videos, and local events to talk about issues such as
soil erosion and preserving soil.
Benefits of soil:
Soil is the basis for food, feed, fuel and
fiber production and for services to ecosystems and human well-being.
It
is the reservoir for at least a quarter of global biodiversity, and therefore
requires the same attention as above-ground biodiversity. Soils play a key role in the supply
of clean water and resilience to floods and droughts.
The
largest store of terrestrial carbon is in the soil so that its preservation may
contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation.
The
maintenance or enhancement of global soil resources is essential if humanity’s
need for food, water, and energy security is to be met.
Understandably,
it’s easy to take soil for granted because it’s mostly hidden from view and few
who live off the farm have reason to give it a second thought.
Yet
this amazing resource is responsible for nearly all life on the planet.
According to the FAO, the demands of a growing
population for food, feed and fiber from the world's soil will increase 60 per
cent by 2050
Soil important
Soil very important as a critical component
of the natural system and as a vital contributor to the human commonwealth
through its contribution to food, water and energy security and as a mitigation
of biodiversity loss and climate change.
Fortunately,
scientists, conservationists and farmers are increasingly recognizing that
keeping our soil healthy and functioning is the key to our survival
It is celebrated particularly by the
global community of 60 000 soil scientists charged with responsibility of
generating and communicating soil knowledge for the common good.
we
must working directly with private landowners to improve the health of the soil
on different lands. And by improving the
health of the soil, we are also improving the health and vitality of our farms,
families and communities.
This
renewed focus on the health of our soil has created an exciting new revolution
in different places in the world, as
farmers, ranchers and other landowners are increasingly making their land more
productive and sustainable through soil health management systems.
Although
all farming operations are different, most all can benefit from keeping the
soil covered as much as possible; disturbing the soil as little as possible;
keeping plants growing throughout the year to feed the soil; and diversifying
plants as much as possible using crop rotation and cover crops.
Conclusion
By
improving soil health, the agricultural producers can harvest benefits on and
off the farm including increasing farmland sustainability and resilience;
improving water and air quality; providing wildlife habitat; and reducing
flooding.
" World Soil
Day serve as a reminder to all of us that we owe our existence to the soil"
Dr .Waleed Abobatta
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