The World Soil Day was observed in Barisal yesterday with a call to adapt soil usage policy for saving the soil to maintain biodiversity.
Speakers at the programme said soil was the base for food, fuel and fibre production. It was the reservoir for at least a quarter of global biodiversity and so it requires the same attention as above ground biodiversity.
Soil play a key role in the supply of fresh water and resilience to floods and droughts. The largest store of terrestrial carbon is in the soil and its preservation may contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation, the speakers observed.
But soils have been neglected for long. We fail to connect soil with our food, water, climate, biodiversity and life. We must invert this tendency and take up some preserving and restoring actions, they said.
Therefore the World Soil Day is celebrated every year to connect people with soils and raise awareness about its importance in our lives. The participants also compiling their seven-point suggestions called to adapt policy for soil management and using soil in best way and utility, execution of sustainable planning for using soil to boost agricultural production and ensuring food security and maintain environment and biodiversity.
A gathering of farmers was organised on this occasion at Durgapur under Chandpur union of Barisal Sadar upazila.
Development organisations – the Association for Sanitation and Economic Development, the Prantojon Trust, the Democratic Development Centre, Kamfist, Development Organisation of Coastal Area’s people (DOCAP), SHIELD, RUPSA organised the programme.
It was presided over by Shawkat Ali Khan Badal and addressed among others by Liakat Hossain Khan, Mizanur Rahman, Shakhawat Hossain and SM Shahjada.
