Reversing soil erosion a must — UN

Although soils are essential for human wellbeing and the sustainability of life on the planet, they are threatened on all continents by natural erosion, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said on World Soil Day, calling for their protection.

Healthy soils are the basis for healthy habitats for all living beings — they provide food, clean water, raw materials and various ecosystem services. But salinity, acidification and loss of biodiversity are just some of the threats that soils are currently facing.

This year’s World Soil Day commemoration focuses on reversing soil erosion for our future.

“We are celebrating a treasure beneath our feet which hosts a quarter of the planet’s biodiversity and provides about 95 percent of our food,” said Eduardo Mansur, FAO’s Director of the Land and Water Division.

Unsustainable agriculture practices and other improper land use changes, such as illegal deforestation, can accelerate erosion up to a thousand times, according to FAO.

Soil erosion affects soil health and productivity by removing the highly fertile topsoil and exposing the remaining soil as it decreases agricultural productivity, degrades ecosystem functions and amplifies hydrogeological risk, such as landslides or floods.

“Soil erosion can also cause significant losses in biodiversity, damage to urban and rural infrastructure and, in severe cases, lead to displacement of human populations,” Mansur explained.

FAO spelled out that by 2050, it may reduce up to 10 percent of crop yields, which is equivalent to removing millions of hectares of land from crop production.

“We must stop soil erosion to save our future,” stressed Mansur. “It takes up to 1,000 years to form one centimeter of top soil, but this one centimeter can be lost with just one heavy rainfall if soil cover is not protected.”