Soils in the Nexus: A Crucial Resource for Water, Energy and Food Security

Care of the soil is crucial if we are to ensure water, energy and food security for nine billion people by 2050. The soil sustains biodiversity and can contribute to the mitigation of climate change, but it is a non-renewable resource within human timeframes. We too often treat his resource in unsustainable ways, with the result that approximately 24 billion tonnes of fertile soil is lost each year due to erosion. Insecurity and the loss of land rights among local populations contribute to the problem.We need, therefore, to consider soils in an integrated and holistic manner: in the nexus. This book presents an interdisciplinary perspective and provides pathways towards the sustainable governance of soil and land.