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World Soil Day is an annual observance celebrated on December 5th. The soil is a vital thing for any living organism surviving on mother earth. Imagine how you will get food and water without the soil. So why don’t we celebrate a Day for the soil that is making life on earth possible? The soil has been named the Skin of the Earth, and this shows how much decisive role the land is playing. Due to lots of human-made disasters and problems over the years, the quality of soil has been degraded. They have lost their healthy nature due to the excessive use of pesticides, chemicals, fertilizers, and more without proper knowledge. World Soil Day is celebrated to highlight the importance of soil to sustain a better life. It is the sole duty of every human living on this planet to save and protect nature for the better near future.
“The nation that destroys its soil destroys itself.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
History of World Soil Day
The first celebration of World Soil Day (WSD) was held in the year 2002. The International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) established this awareness Day. IUSS had passed it as a resolution to celebrate the importance of soil as a significant component of the natural system and as a vital contributor to human well-being. It is celebrated on this date as it was the birthday of Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who had officially sanctioned this event. The formal establishment of the WSD as a global awareness-raising platform came with the support and administration of the Kingdom of Thailand along with the framework of the “Global Soil Partnership” (GSP) and Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO).
In June 2013, the FAO Conference had unanimously endorsed the WSD. It had requested for the official adoption of the Day at the 68th UN General Assembly. The 68th UN General Assembly held in Dec 2013 declared the 5th of December as the WSD. Since 2012, the FAO-GSP has been making celebration events of this remarkable day. The aim of this Day is to connect the people with soils and promote awareness about their importance in our lives. In hopes of increasing the awareness as much as possible about the enormous role soil plays in food security, the year 2015 was also declared as the International Year of Soils.
The soil is formed up of organic remains, clay, and rock particles, found on the Earth’s surface. It has a mixture of minerals, organic matter, gases, liquids, and countless organisms that together support life on Earth. The soil is a natural body that acts as a medium for plant growth, water storage, supply, and purification. It is a modifier of Earth’s atmosphere and provides living space or habitat for organisms. The soil is gives food, reduces biodiversity loss, and secures energy. With the increases in population, soils are under pressure as they are with higher demands for food and competing land uses. Several other problems like deforestation, bad agricultural practices, and pollution made soil degradation and erosion. About 33% of our global soils are degraded, and this highlights the need for protecting the soil.
Other Celebrations on December 5
December 5 is also celebrated as
- International Ninja Day
- International Volunteer Day
- Repeal Day
- National Sacher Torte Day
- Bathtub Party Day
How to Celebrate World Soil Day
Celebrating World Soil Day is quite simple. The foremost thing to celebrate this day in the best way possible is by educating yourself about the need, benefits, and importance of protecting the soil. Learn in detail about the soil, its types, and its nature. Transform your learning to people around you to make them aware of the need for protecting the soil. Plant trees that reduce soil erosion. From all over the world, soil scientists and organizations on this Day conduct events and awareness programs to promote awareness about the soil. You can actively participate in the program. Make yourself indulge in some way or the other in preventing nature’s most beautiful form, the soil, on this Day. Share your views and Soil Day celebration photos on social media using the hashtag #WorldSoilDay.
Thank you for reading the post. You can celebrate every day with Happydays365.org and Happy World Soil Day 2023.