In Salvation of African Soils: Exploring
the Window of Opportunity Through
Nationally Determined Contributions
to Implement Sustainable Soil Management
Robert Kibugi
1 Introduction
According to the World Soil Charter, “soils are fundamental to life on earth but
human pressures on soil resources are reaching critical limits.”
1 Soils have also been
identified as the “foundation of food production and many essential ecosystem
services.”
2 Resolution 3/6 of the Third Session of the United Nations Environment
Assembly (UNEA-3) affirmed this noting that soil is one of the largest reservoirs of
biodiversity, but the negative impacts of the contamination of soil are undermining
productivity and sustainability of ecosystems, biodiversity, agriculture and food
security, and clean ground and surface water.”
3
Although soil is deemed the foundation of food production and many ecosystem
services, the 2019 Global Resources Outlook
4 reported that “food production is
responsible for the majority of biodiversity loss, soil erosion and a large share of
anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions.”
5 In addition, soils are facing degradation,
and pollution from various sources. The Second Global Chemicals Outlook, released
in 2019, reports that “soils throughout the world are contaminated by hazardous
chemicals, heavy metals and certain pesticides.”
6 This is affirmed by the Sixth
R. Kibugi (*)
School of Law, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
1 FAO (2015) Revised World Soil Charter, Preamble.
2 FAO (2017) Voluntary Guidelines for Sustainable Soil Management.
3 UNEA (2017) Managing soil pollution to achieve sustainable development - UNEP/EA.3/
Res.6, p. 1.
4 UNEP, International Resource Panel (2019) Global Resources Outlook 2019.
5 UNEP, International Resource Panel (2019) Global Resources Outlook 2019, p. 17.
6 UNEA, Global Chemicals Outlook II: summary for policymakers - UNEP/EA.4/21, p. 8.
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
H. Yahyah et al. (eds.), Legal Instruments for Sustainable Soil Management in
Africa, International Yearbook of Soil Law and Policy,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-36004-7_2
15
the Window of Opportunity Through
Nationally Determined Contributions
to Implement Sustainable Soil Management
Robert Kibugi
1 Introduction
According to the World Soil Charter, “soils are fundamental to life on earth but
human pressures on soil resources are reaching critical limits.”
1 Soils have also been
identified as the “foundation of food production and many essential ecosystem
services.”
2 Resolution 3/6 of the Third Session of the United Nations Environment
Assembly (UNEA-3) affirmed this noting that soil is one of the largest reservoirs of
biodiversity, but the negative impacts of the contamination of soil are undermining
productivity and sustainability of ecosystems, biodiversity, agriculture and food
security, and clean ground and surface water.”
3
Although soil is deemed the foundation of food production and many ecosystem
services, the 2019 Global Resources Outlook
4 reported that “food production is
responsible for the majority of biodiversity loss, soil erosion and a large share of
anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions.”
5 In addition, soils are facing degradation,
and pollution from various sources. The Second Global Chemicals Outlook, released
in 2019, reports that “soils throughout the world are contaminated by hazardous
chemicals, heavy metals and certain pesticides.”
6 This is affirmed by the Sixth
R. Kibugi (*)
School of Law, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
1 FAO (2015) Revised World Soil Charter, Preamble.
2 FAO (2017) Voluntary Guidelines for Sustainable Soil Management.
3 UNEA (2017) Managing soil pollution to achieve sustainable development - UNEP/EA.3/
Res.6, p. 1.
4 UNEP, International Resource Panel (2019) Global Resources Outlook 2019.
5 UNEP, International Resource Panel (2019) Global Resources Outlook 2019, p. 17.
6 UNEA, Global Chemicals Outlook II: summary for policymakers - UNEP/EA.4/21, p. 8.
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
H. Yahyah et al. (eds.), Legal Instruments for Sustainable Soil Management in
Africa, International Yearbook of Soil Law and Policy,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-36004-7_2
15