Soil plays key roles in relation to environmental, health and social problems which humanity is currently facing such as climate change, food and water security as well as poverty and migration. The United Nations declared the year 2015 as the International Year of Soils with the intention to improve and enlarge the awareness on soil resources. Many achievements were made and a large number of successful events, big and small, were held during the year 2015 like the conference ‘Celebration of International Year of Soils 2015 – Achievements and Future Challenges’ in Vienna on Dec. 7 where the International Decade of Soils (2015-2024) was proclaimed by the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS).
The International Decade of Soils shall be a continuation of the efforts made during the International Year of Soils. It will be marked by a number of activities on the national and international levels. Ongoing activities carried out by soil science societies will be presented which shall give rise to further activities as well as creating new ideas for the future. Participants from various scientific disciplines related to soil science are invited to share their perceptions and experiences in the discussion part of this short course.