First Soil Atlas of Africa: a lens on the source of life of the continent
The first Soil Atlas of Africa is a collaborative initiative of the European Union, the African Union and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Africa’s soils represent a life source, play a crucial role for climate change adaptation policies and are fundamental for sustainable development and food security. Through a complete evaluation, with full colour maps and illustrations, the atlas explains in a simple and clear way the diversity of soil across the continent. Here are some key aspects from the Atlas: 98% of all calories consumed in Africa originate from the soil resources of the continent; Africa's soils store about 200 gigatonnes of organic carbon; organic matter in the soil can store more than ten times its weight of water, which reduces risk of floods and protects underground water supplies; over half of Africa's land surface is characterized by sandy soils (22%), shallow stony soils (17%) and young, weakly developed soils (11%); many of the soils of Africa are severely degraded by erosion and excessive nutrient depletion. Through an explanation of the main threats to soil and the steps being taken to protect soil resources the aim of this atlas is to raise awareness at all levels, from politicians to the general public of the significance of soil to life in Africa, and the need to improve protection and assure a sustainable use and a sustainable management of soil sources. Informed decision making is currently limited by the scarcity of up to date data on the soil resources of Africa.