Tehran — Healthy soil is essential for producing safe food, sustaining life, purifying water, and resisting pollution, a senior agriculture official said, underscoring its central role in national strategies for soil protection, sustainable farming, and healthy urban development.

 

Seyed Esmaeil Salehi, Deputy Director for Soil Improvement and Fertility at the Agricultural Soil Affairs Office, highlighted this year’s World Soil Day theme, “Healthy Soils for Healthy Cities.” He said the slogan draws attention to the vital link between soil quality and urban well-being, reinforcing soil’s importance for sustainable development, public health, and food security.

 

He identified drought, reduced vegetation cover, steep landscapes, unsustainable land use, and intense rainfall as the main drivers of severe soil erosion in Iran.

 

The official emphasized that measures such as conservation agriculture, watershed management, retaining plant residues, increasing soil organic matter, and improving irrigation practices are essential to curb erosion.

 

Achieving these goals, he added, depends on coordinated action across sectors and widespread training initiatives.