Every year on December 5, World Soil Day is celebrated and this serves as a platform to promote the significance of soil in supporting life on Earth. It aims to create an environment where every individual and communities know and care about the essential roles that soil plays in agriculture, food security, biodiversity, climate regulation, and overall in our life also as a means to focus attention on the importance of healthy soil and for the sustainable management of soil.
WHAT IS SOIL?
Soil is made up of minerals, organic matter, water, air, and living organisms. The mineral content of soil comes from bedrock, which is modified over time by physical, chemical, and biological processes. Soil is a limited resource but is a renewable resource but it takes a lot of time to develop. One inch of topsoil takes hundreds of years to develop.
WHY SOIL MATTERS?
Soil is the foundation of our life and plays a vital importance in all process:
➔ Agriculture and food security: Over 95 percent of our food comes from soils.The fertile soil helps in the growth and development of the plants. Without fertile soil agriculture would not be sustained.
➔ Ecosystem: Soil is an integral part of earth’s natural systems. It supports many life forms including bacteria, fungi, algae, etc. These microbes, in turn, maintain environmental balance by retaining the moisture and decaying the dead organisms.
➔ Biodiversity: A single gram of soil can contain billions of microorganisms and thousands of species. These organisms drive nutrient cycling, enhance soil fertility, and support plant growth.
➔ Waste management: It is a major soil component. Composting is now widely used to treat solid domestic waste and dried effluents of fluids.. Although compost is not soil, biological processes taking place during composting are similar to those occurring during decomposition and humification of soil organic matter.
THERE WILL BE NO LIFE WITHOUT SOIL AND NO SOIL WITHOUT LIFE
2024 Theme: Caring for Soils: Measure, Monitor, Manage
Agricultural production will have to increase by 60% to meet the global food demand in 2050. It can take up to 1000 years to produce just 2-3 cm of soil.
However, in the face of climate change and human activity, soil degradation has become a common phenomenon. Soil Erosion disrupts the natural balance of the Ecosystem, reducing water infiltration and availability for all forms of life, and also decreasing the level of vitamins and nutrients in food. Sustainable soil management practices, such as crop rotation, organic matter addition, and cover cropping, improve overall soil health, reduce erosion and pollution, and enhance water infiltration and storage. These practices also preserve soil biodiversity, improve fertility of soil, and play a crucial role to f ight against climate change.
THREATS TO SOIL
Some of the major threats include:
● Soil Erosion: Wind, Water and poor farming practices can wash away the topsoil, which contains the majority of nutrients which is best for agriculture.
● Soil Pollution: Industrial waste, pesticides and fertilizers used in agriculture and microplastics degrade soil quality.
● Salinization: Over-irrigation and deforestation can lead to salt buildup and the transformation of fertile land into barren deserts.
WAYS TO PROTECT
To ensure that soil remains healthy and fertile we need to make initiative as communities like:
● Sustainable Farming: Practices like crop rotation, multiple cropping and organic farming helps to renew soil nutrients.
● Afforestation: Planting trees and vegetation maintains the soil and prevents degradation by reducing washing away of topsoil.
● Reduce Chemical Use: Avoid pesticides and fertilizers, minimizes soil contamination and maintains natural fertility of soil.
● Composting and giving soil rest: Organic waste can be converted into compost to enrich soil naturally and by giving a land time helps to retain its natural fertility.
● Awareness: Educate others the importance of soil and support policies aimed at soil conservation.
OUR EFFORTS MATTER
This day is a reminder for all of us to take the right action at the right time so we can save our planet. Soil is the basic necessity of our lives and our ecosystem. Let's take a moment on this December 5 and rethink our decisions and take a moment to appreciate soil’s value and, adopt sustainable practices and restore our soil. Every action counts and every effort matters.
THE SOIL IS THE GREAT CONNECTOR OF OUR LIVES, SOURCE AND DESTINATION OF ALL
References
https://www.un.org/en/observances/world-soil-day https://www.fao.org/world-soil-day/about-wsd/en/ https://www.awarenessdays.com/awareness-days-calendar/world-soil-day-2024/ https://byjus.com/biology/what-is-soil/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil#Uses
Written By:
Tashvi Gupta
BA (H) Philosphy
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