90% Soil Degradation By 2050:
At an international conference in Agadir, Morocco, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Director-General urged its 194 Member States to improve soil protection and rehabilitation as the organisation warns that by 2050, up to 90% of the planet’s soil could be degraded.
- This alarming prediction highlights a major threat to global biodiversity and human life.
- UNESCO states that according to the World Atlas of Desertification, 75% of soils are already degraded, directly affecting 3.2 billion people. The current trend may increase the impact to 90% by 2050.
- UNESCO will establish a ‘world soil health index’ with international partners to standardise soil quality measurement and comparison.
- This will help identify trends in degradation or improvement and vulnerable areas, aiming to improve the evaluation of soil management practices.
- UNESCO will launch a pilot programme for sustainable soil and landscape management in ten natural sites supported by its Biosphere Reserves Programme.
- The program aims to assess and improve management methods, and promote best practices worldwide.
- UNESCO will train member government agencies, indigenous communities, and conservation organisations to access soil-protection tools.
Soil Degradation:
- Soil degradation is defined as a change in soil health status resulting in a diminished capacity of the ecosystem to provide goods and services for its beneficiaries. It involves biological, chemical, and physical decline in soil quality.
