Soil Health

Experts at the Anil Agarwal Dialogue 2025 in Nimli, Rajasthan warned about the deteriorating health of India’s soils and its grave consequences.

• About Soil Erosion in India: Indian soil is highly vulnerable.
• Erosion Rate: 20 tonnes per hectare per year (India) vs 2.4 tonnes per hectare per year (Global average).

o Degraded lands lose natural resilience, making recovery difficult.

• Impact on Human Health: Scientific research links soil health to human health.

o Soil degradation leads to nutrient loss, causing malnutrition.

• August 2023 US study (Scientific Reports):

o Low soil zinc availability → Higher stunting & underweight cases.

o Low soil iron availability → Increased anaemia cases.

• Climate Change & Soil Degradation: Accelerating soil loss through increased rainfall & acidity.

o Acidic soil area expected to rise by 40 million hectares.

o Resilience of soil is declining.

• Need for Global Recognition: Soil should be treated as a global common, like air, ocean, and biodiversity.
• State-wise Soil Vulnerability:Nine of the 20 most erosion-prone districts are in Assam.