World Soil Day | IAS GYAN

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Context

December 5 is observed as the World Soil Day (WSD), to highlight the value of healthy soil and to promote the sustainable management of soil resources.

Background

The poor condition of soil leads to degradation, which is a pressing environmental issue all around the world. Soil degradation causes erosion, loss of organic matter and reduces soil fertility.

World Soil Day

An international day to celebrate soil was recommended by the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) in 2002.
Since the first WSD in 2014, the Global Soil Partnership (GSP) people are connecting and working together to preserve soils with each passing year.
World Soil Day enjoins individuals to consider sustainably managing soil resources. The main goal of the day is to increase public awareness of the significant environmental issues that soil degradation can lead to, such as erosion, the loss of organic matter, and a drop in soil fertility.
The theme for World Soil Day 2022 is "Soils, where food begins".

International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS)

The International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS), founded in 1924 under the name International Society of Soil Science, is a scientific union and member of the International Council for Science (ICSU).
The Union has 86 national and regional member societies with about 60,000 scientists in several countries and individual members in 57 countries. Every four years, the IUSS holds the World Congress of Soil Science.
The purpose of the IUSS is to promote all branches of soil science and its applications, to promote contacts among scientists and other persons engaged in the study and the application of soil science; to stimulate scientific research and to further the application of such research.
The IUSS is a founding partner of the International Year of Planet Earth and supports all of its activities.