Latest news with #PraveenaSridhar
Time of India
30-04-2025
- General
- Time of India
India's quiet power: How soil can shape a resilient future
Praveena Sridhar is the Chief Science and Technology Officer of the Save Soil movement. She has a Master's in Environment Engineering and is a public policy expert. She has been working in the environmental sector for over 20 years. Over the years, she has worked on projects to deliver sustainable drinking water and sanitation, agriculture, and farmer welfare. LESS ... MORE As the world marks Earth Day, India faces an urgent need not just for reflection, but recalibration. With climate volatility, declining nutritional security, rural distress, and biodiversity loss converging into a complex national challenge, the solution may lie beneath our very feet. Soil—living, dynamic, and often overlooked—emerges as a strategic asset that can address these overlapping crises through one integrated approach. One Root, Many Branches India's soil health crisis is no longer invisible. According to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, nearly 147 million hectares—about 37% of our land—is degraded. Alarmingly, 30% of agricultural soils are classified as severely degraded, with organic carbon levels falling below 0.5% in many regions. The economic toll is substantial: land degradation costs the Indian economy an estimated ₹3.17 lakh crore annually, nearly 2% of our GDP. These figures are not abstract. They show up in reduced farm incomes, shrinking yields, rising input costs, and food with 15–35% fewer essential micronutrients like iron, zinc, and vitamin A. For nearly 100 million small and marginal farmers—the backbone of Indian agriculture—soil degradation is directly linked to growing debt and dwindling resilience. Soil as a National Strategy The appeal of soil restoration lies in its multiplier effect. Healthy soil supports thriving microbial life, anchors biodiversity, buffers against climate extremes, and produces nutrient-rich food—all while stabilizing farmer incomes and reducing public spending on inputs like chemical fertilizers, which crossed ₹1.7 lakh crore in subsidies last year. Farmers adopting regenerative practices—from agroforestry and crop rotation to composting and reduced tillage—report 30–45% higher net incomes, along with up to 30% lower irrigation needs. The benefits go beyond economics. Soils managed with organic principles can sequester an estimated 7–10 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent per hectare annually, while enhancing water retention—a crucial adaptation tool in an era of erratic monsoons. Solution for a Nexus of Problems The need for integrative approaches is echoed globally. Experts and policymakers now call for collaboration among the Rio Conventions on Climate Change, Biodiversity, and Desertification. Soil offers a unifying framework: addressing its health unlocks progress on all three fronts. And India is well positioned to lead this approach. With centuries of ecological knowledge, emerging regenerative farming movements, and vast cultivated lands, we hold the tools to mainstream a Soil rejuvenation as a solution for a nexus of problems linking environmental health with economic well-being. India has already initiated several efforts—the Soil Health Card Scheme, the National Agroforestry Policy, and the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana, among others. These are important steps, and lay a robust foundation. What's needed is a systems-level redesign: one that sees soil not as an isolated environmental issue but as foundational to agricultural productivity, public health, and fiscal stability. Reframing the Future In an age of geopolitical uncertainties and shifting trade dynamics—such as the temporary pause on U.S. tariffs on Indian agricultural goods—self-reliance in food systems becomes not just prudent, but essential. Fertile, resilient soil is the bedrock of that independence. As India charts its path toward sustainable development, soil should no longer remain beneath the radar. Investing in soil regeneration is not just a matter of ecological necessity—it is a pathway to economic resilience, nutritional security, and climate preparedness. This Earth Day, it's time to stop treating soil as an afterthought and start seeing it as the strategic national asset it truly is. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
The National
11-04-2025
- General
- The National
Hundreds of millions will flee homes if soil degradation continues, new report warns
Time is running out to reduce the degradation of Earth's soil and, without urgent action, the forced migration of people as a result is estimated to soar, a new report said. Warning that 'soil degradation is a critical and often overlooked threat multiplier,' the Save Soil non-profit organisation highlighted that when agricultural productivity was hit, millions were forced to leave their homes, unable to bear the brunt of relentless droughts and floods. Titled 'The nexus of soil degradation, climate change and food insecurity: A looming global migration crisis," the report, released on Thursday, analyses data from organisations including the World Bank and the UNCCD (United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification). The World Bank has warned that more than 216 million people could be displaced from their homes by 2050 due to climate change with the poorest regions the worst affected. "When soil loses its vitality, communities lose their resilience to drought, crop yields plummet, and people are left with no choice but to move,' said Praveena Sridhar, chief technology officer of Save Soil, urging action to prevent the doubling of forced global migration by 2100 due to increased aridity and drought. 'Maintaining healthy soil with adequate organic matter is not just an environmental issue, it's fundamental to preventing forced migration.' Ms Sridhar said investing in soil health was necessary to reduce the pressures driving global migration and also opened a path to tackle the impact of climate change and ensure food security. She said countries should frame policies to restore soil health, remove chemical fertilisers and pesticides and allow the soil to retain water and nutrients with regenerative agricultural practices. Calling on governments and civil society to prioritise soil protection and restoration, she said, 'This report underscores the urgent need to see healthy and living soil as the solution for the nexus of problems that humanity faces through mass migration, climate change, land degradation and food security.' The Save Soil organisation has often launched global campaigns to raise awareness that protecting soil is essential to save the planet and tackle the climate crisis. The group supports more than 250,000 Indian farmers to implement soil revitalisation projects and hopes to place soil nutrition on the agenda of all governments. The United Nations has warned of a dangerous decline in food production over the next 25 years, with the Earth's topsoil at risk by 2050. "Our report reveals that the foundation of stable communities is literally eroding beneath our feet," the study said. It pointed out that the severe consequences of soil degradation were already evident, with crop production expected to decline by 22 per cent by 2040 in sub-Saharan Africa, with maize yields in some regions likely to drop by 50 per cent by 2050. Countries in the Middle East and North Africa region are among the most vulnerable. They have called on the international community to give priority to regions facing drought, water scarcity and rising temperatures that contribute to forced migration. The impact will also be felt in Europe, with more land turning arid and dry, which will subsequently affect food production. The report emphasised that the impact of soil degradation and climate change on mass migration cannot be overlooked. Sustainable land management practices that teach farmers not to over-till the land, and to use organic compost and plant trees to reduce erosion are vital for food security and to help communities to remain in their homes, the study said.
