Today, we celebrate the World Soil Day at the Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP). The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Conference, in June 2013, unanimously endorsed World Soil Day and requested official adoption at the 68th UN General Assembly. In December 2013, the 68th UN General Assembly declared 5 December as the World Soil Day (WSD). It is held annually on 5 December as a means to focus attention on the importance of healthy soil and to advocate for the sustainable management of soil resources[1]. The date of 5 December was chosen because it corresponds with the official birthday of the late H.M. King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great, King of Thailand, who was one of the main proponents of this initiative[2].

This year’s theme of the World Soil Day 2021 and its campaign “Halt soil salinization, boost soil productivity” aims to raise awareness of the importance of maintaining healthy ecosystems and human well-being by addressing the growing challenges in soil management, fighting soil salinization, increasing soil awareness and encouraging governments, organizations, communities and individuals around the world to commit to proactively improving soil health.

CIRDAP is proud to organize a webinar in collaboration with Thailand’s Land Development Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives for celebrating the World Soil Day entitled “The innovation solutions to soil for long-term food security and sustainable ecosystem”. The presentation will be given by Dr. Bunjirtluk Jintaridth (ดร บรรเจิดลักษณ์ จินตฤทธิ์), Expert in Acid Soils.

CIRDAP looks forward to promoting its emerging issues on integrated rural development programme including natural disaster risk reduction, climate change impacts, and soil & water resource management in the years to come.