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Support to International Year of Soils

The focus of this project, funded by the government of Thailand, was the promotion of sustainable soil management through enhancing capacities at all levels, developing normative products for fostering healthy soils, supporting soil governance at national levels and raising awareness through implementation of the International Year of Soils (IYS) 2015. All these actions directly contributed to identified areas of work such as food security and nutrition, climate change adaptation, implementation of the sustainable development goals and others.

ACTIVITIES

Activity 1. Launch of the International Year of Soils

An official launch event of the IYS of Thailand was organized during the celebration of His Majesty the King's 87th Birthday in Bangkok, Thailand which coincided with the first official World Soil Day on the 5th December.

Thailand established the plans and activities for both IYS and WSD nationally. The themes of exhibitions at both events were coherent with the theme of IYS2015 as ''Healthy Soils for a Healthy Life'' and WSD2014 as ''Soils, a foundation for family farming'', respectively.

Key activities planned for the IYS 2015:

• The International conference on Soil hold in August 2015, Thailand
• The demonstration, workshops, and side events in relevant to the royal initiatives on soil and the sustainable land management
• The summer schools for farmer families
• The establishment of soil museum and learning centers on agricultural soil conservation and management at the local farmer schools in Thailand
• The distribution of knowledge (website, brochure, book, TV/Radio spots, etc.)

Activity 2: Financial support to IYS

The Royal Thai government has agreed to provide the financial support of 100,000 U.S. Dollars as the Seed money to mobilize the implementation of IYS under the framework of the Global Soil Partnership.

Activity 3: In-kind contribution to IYS

Thailand was willing to make contributions to IYS. The planed contribution are in forms of technical supports on sustainable land management and soil doctor program to the ASEAN members and the countries experiencing the degraded soils problems. The joint collaboration from other regional and international organizations, especially the UNCCD focal point and FAO Thailand, was welcomed.