Halt soil salinization, boost soil productivity

11 December 2021

World Soil Day is held annually on 5 December as a means to focus attention on the importance of healthy soil and advocate for the sustainable management of soil resources.

This year’s theme “Halt soil salinization, boost soil productivity” aims to raise awareness of the importance of maintaining healthy ecosystems and communities by tackling the growing challenge of soil salinization. It is also aimed at encouraging governments, organizations, and communities in different countries to commit to proactively improving soil health.

Joining other organizations around the world in celebrating World Soil Day, the Emirates Soil Museum will host a special event from 10:00 to 14:00 on 11 December 2021 in collaboration with its sustainability partners: Eedama, The Waste Lab, ENWWF, Dubai Municipality and the Water Alliance.

The event will bring together people of different ages and walks of life to learn and experience how everyone can play a part in keeping soils healthy and ecosystems sustainable through a range of engaging and fun activities.

Program

10:00–10:30 Arrival

10:30 – 11:00 Opening

11:00 – 12:00 Activities

12:00 – 13:00 Break with interactive games

13:00 – 14:00 Activities

Activities

Activity 1

Emirates Soil Museum Guided Tour

A guided tour of the Emirates Soil Museum to learn about the soil story and different types of soils in the UAE.

Activity 2

Composting with The Waste Lab and ENWWF

Join us and celebrate World Soil Day by digging into an integral part of healthy soil: composting!

You will find out:

What exactly food waste is and how we can transform it from pollution into a valuable resource
The difference between rotting and decomposition
Why composting is vital in a desert environment
How to get started at home
What you can/cannot compost
Learn from others’ trials and errors
Tips and tricks for our environment
Troubleshooting and special tools to help you on your composting journey

Our interactive workshop is open to everyone, including children! Come and experience compost at different stages of maturity. We welcome beginners and experienced composters or anyone who is simply curious!

Celebrate World Soil Day by doing your part to protect our soils and return fertility to our very own backyards. Together we can cycle valuable nutrients back into our local ecosystems and improve our soil fertility!

Activity 3

Sustainability Program with Eedama

Environmental activities and workshops that allow participants to learn about sustainability, why it is important and how they can have a positive impact on the environment.

You will do:

Artistic planting
Participants will plant plants in a sustainable manner that saves water and then design their own pots to take away. They will learn how to layer and stack planting mediums.
Duration: 30 min
Seed bombs and permaculture
Participants will create seed bombs to plant in a fun way while understanding the concept of permaculture and companion planting (participants will learn which plants are compatible with others to ensure correct growing food methods.)
Duration: 30 min

Activity 4

Family Games with Water Alliance

Join us for a session of cool activities and games for the entire family and get to know why sustainable living starts with smart water behavior. Water is embedded in our daily lives in surprising ways. At work, at lunch and snack time, in your closet, and more. Have fun while learning how our lifestyle choices impact everyone, and everything including our soil! Water connects us all and connects the Sustainable Development Goals. Come and meet us. Water Alliance is your local nonprofit organization in Dubai giving water a voice.