Overview
- The FAO-led observance highlights the theme Healthy Soils for Healthy Cities, warning that sealed urban ground loses vital functions such as flood control, cooling and water filtration.
- Odisha marked the day with a state-level event where Deputy Chief Minister K.V. Singh Deo urged natural and climate-resilient farming and officials distributed Soil Health Cards to guide balanced nutrient use.
- In Assam’s Nagaon, KVK led a day-long awareness drive with soil testing for over a hundred farmers, sapling planting and demonstrations of post-paddy crops to boost income and soil vitality.
- 2025 saw notable governance steps for soil health, including an IUCN soil security resolution, the EU’s new Soil Monitoring Law and the Pan‑African Parliament’s adoption of an AU Model Law on Sustainable Soil Management.
- Commentary after COP30 notes soils remain under-integrated in climate talks and finance, despite their central role in food, water and resilience and India’s large-scale degradation and 26 million hectare restoration target.