SOIL SECURITY IN THE SCENARIO OF ABERRANT CLIMATIC CONDITIONS: CHALLENGES, OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS

Abstract

Climate change has significant implications for soil security, a critical issue given soil's pivotal role in supporting food production, biodiversity, and ecosystem services. The rising global temperatures, changes in precipitation patterns, and the increase in extreme weather events threaten soil health and functions, making it crucial to understand the impacts of climate change on soil security. To comprehensively examine these interactions, this review embarked on a mission to identify the challenges and opportunities and provide directions for future research and policy-making. The extensive review of the relevant scientific literature sheds light on various impacts and potential strategies to enhance soil security amidst the changing climate. Interestingly, while climate change presents substantial challenges to soil security, it also opens the door to promising opportunities. Advances in soil science, climate-smart agricultural practices, and policy opportunities offer hope for improving soil health and resilience. The review highlighted the potential of soil carbon sequestration, robust soil policies, climate-resilient farming practices, and various stakeholders' critical role in shaping future directions. By underscoring the need for further research into soil-climate interactions, the paper serves as a guidepost for future research, policy, and practice to enhance soil security and its contributions to climate change mitigation and adaptation. Thus, it contributes to the collective understanding that safeguarding soil health is a scientific endeavor and a social and economic imperative in our fight against climate change.