World Soil Day is observed annually on
December 5 to shift the public’s attention to the importance of healthy soil
and to encourage them to advocate for sustainable management of soil resources.
It was first recommended by the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) in
2002.

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The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the
United Nations (FAO) Conference unanimously adopted World Soil Day in June 2013
and requested the UN General Assembly for its official adoption. In December
2013, the request was accepted by the UN General Assembly by designating
December 5, 2015 as the first official World Soil Day.

The theme for World Soil Day 2021 is ‘Halt soil salinization, boost soil
productivity’ which aims to raise awareness about the importance of maintaining
a healthy ecosystem and human wellbeing.

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Active efforts
need to be made to address the challenges of soil management and soil
salinization by increasing awareness amongst the masses about soil and encouraging
societies to work upon improving soil health.

Salt affected soils have numerous negative
impacts and can seriously impact the lives of all living species. It leads to a
decrease in agricultural productivity, water quality, soil biodiversity and soil
erosion. They are unable to put up a fight against pollutants and reduce the
ability of crops to retain sufficient micronutrients.

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According
to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United States, the annual loss in agricultural productivity caused
by salinization is estimated to be of US$ 31 million and there are more than 833 million hectares of
salt-affected soils around the globe (8.7% of the planet).

We need to
combat soil salinisation and sodification which pose a threat to the ecosystem
and are one of the biggest challenges that we need to overcome. They impact the
agricultural production at a global level which can have dire consequences in
the near future.