WORLD SOIL DAY-DECEMBER 5
“Halt soil salinization, boost soil productivity.”
On December 5 every year, World Soil Day is celebrated to promote awareness of the importance of soil to the survival of life on Earth. Nobody needs to be taught about the importance of soil, yet the resource is under massive degradation. We all know life on Earth will not be possible without fertile soil. The primary producers of the food chain, the green plants, are produced with the help of the ground beneath us. The current scenario proves that Humankind has failed to coexist with Mother Nature. We are never the superior species but a tiny part of a vast ecosystem.
All the exploitation from Humankind makes the ecosystem imbalanced. When you look at history without fear or favour, you notice Humankind has always tried to utilize resources only for their benefit without foreseeing the outcomes, and that’s precisely what we are dealing with now. The emergency we face to tackle climate change or global warming solidifies the point.
As we face climate change calamities every day, why do we talk about healthy soil conservation?
The one thing we have to understand about nature is that everything is connected. We all know the soil is essential to grow plants and trees that produce food to survive. Only healthy soils can perform this function.
Soil health has been defined as “the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living system, within the ecosystem and land-use boundaries, to sustain biological productivity, promote the quality of air and water environments, and maintain plant, animal, and human health.” (Pankhurst et al., 1997)
Is there anything more healthy soils can do?
The simple answer is yes. They do wonders. It’s not a malapropism, They literally do. Like I have mentioned earlier, everything is connected. Healthy soil provides a medium for plants and trees to grow, creating an ecosystem for plants, birds, animals, and humans. Healthy soil provides essential nutrients for plant growth. It acts as a habitat for numerous microorganisms, vital in recycling organic waste and nutrients. Soil ensures the availability of clean water by holding onto pollutants, harmful chemicals and minerals. Healthy soil provides a land which is more resilient to flood, drought or fire. Soil assists in Earth’s climate regulation and stores more carbon than all of the world’s forests put together.In these adverse times of climate change, what remedy can be found more valuable than this? Climate change or Global warming is not happening because of a single cause. The beginning of the dramatic change began over a hundred years ago. Hence we can not expect any overnight miracle to help us from this situation. But if we are not ready to start a collective sustainable drive of every ecological aspect, we may not last more than a century.
Just like the famous song “It’s Now or Never.”
To know more about We Grow Forest Foundation please visit our website https://wegrowforest.org/ or contact us at on 9778411911 or email at us plant@wegrowforest.org
