Threats to Soils

  • Soil erosion, salinization, acidification, soil organic carbon loss, nutrient imbalance, soil contamination, water logging, urbanization, and loss of biodiversity are the main threats to soils.
  • Soil threats have implications for food production, and globally 33% of land is in a state of degradation.
  • Globally 24 billion tonnes of fertile soils were lost to erosion in the year 2011.
  • Water erosion transported 23-42 million tonnes of N and 15-26 million tonnes of P from agricultural lands.
  • Globally over one billion hectares, and 20 percent of irrigated lands are affected by salinization.
  • Daily 2000 hectares of farm soil is lost due to salt-induced degradation. 
  • Urbanization, including landfills of urban waste, and is occupying prime lands that could be used for agriculture.   
  • If soils continue degrading at the current rate, by 2030 humanity will require two Earths to sustain its livelihood, but remember, we have only one planet, and no virtual planet to import!
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