WHILE climate headlines focus on melting glaciers and rising seas, a quieter, deadlier crisis unfolds underfoot: soil degradation.
The soil—a thin, vital layer sustaining most life—is being eroded, poisoned and depleted at a staggering pace.
Every year, fertile land, the size of Greece, is lost to industrial farming, deforestation and unchecked urbanization.
Unlike dramatic natural disasters, soil degradation progresses silently, undermining food systems, ecosystems and climate stability.
Nearly a third of the world’s arable land has been lost in the past 40 years.
The UN warns that if current trends continue, all topsoil may vanish within 60 years.
Soil isn’t just for food—it’s Earth’s second-largest carbon sink.
When it degrades, it releases carbon into the atmosphere, worsening global warming.
In Pakistan, the crisis is accelerating.
Around 60% of the land shows signs of desertification and one billion tons of topsoil are lost annually.
In Punjab, years of monocropping and chemical use have devastated soil health, forcing farmers to use five times more fertilizer than past generations.
In Sindh and Balochistan, overgrazing and deforestation expose soil to erosion.
The 2022 floods washed away centuries’ worth of topsoil in days.
Ironically, our food production methods are destroying the soil needed to feed the world.
Industrial agriculture reduces soil to a lifeless substrate, vulnerable to erosion.
Once fertile lands now struggle with water scarcity and declining yields, trapping farmers in cycles of debt.
Meanwhile, urban sprawl and infrastructure projects seal soil under concrete, worsening water runoff, droughts and floods.
Climate change worsens this dynamic.
Rising temperatures dry out soil and intense rains sweep it away.
In the Indus Basin, poor irrigation and rising seas are salinizing soils, costing Pakistan nearly $2 billion annually in lost crops.
Yet there is hope.
Soil can heal quickly if treated right.
Regenerative practices like no-till farming, cover cropping and rotational grazing can restore soil health in a few years.
In Pakistan, traditional systems such as warabandi water management and Thar’s desert agriculture offer sustainable models.
Modern trials—like biochar in Sindh and soil restoration in Chakwal—have boosted yields and farmer incomes.
The problem isn’t technical—it’s political.
Agricultural subsidies favour harmful practices and sustainable farming lacks support.
Pakistan must shift focus: reform policies, invest in soil science and treat soil health as national security.
A National Soil Restoration Program should set clear targets and support farmers adopting regenerative methods.
Urban planning must prioritize permeable surfaces and soil education should begin in schools.
Internationally, Pakistan should champion soil’s role in climate talks.
Soil restoration is a powerful, underused climate solution.
Ultimately, soil is not just dirt—it’s a living system essential to our survival.
Every day we delay, we risk more loss.
But every acre restored is a lifeline.
The future lies beneath our feet.
We must act—wisely and urgently.
—The writer is Assistant Director, Sindh Environmental Protection Agency. (fayyazsalih@gmail.com)
