Türkiye loses 1 centimeter of soil every 16 years due to erosion, despite the fact that it takes roughly 500 years for the same layer to form, a civil society representative has warned on World Soil Day on Dec .5.
Hikmet Öztürk, forest engineer and consultant to the Turkish Foundation for Combating Soil Erosion, for Reforestation and the Protection of Natural Habitats (TEMA), said soil, Earth’s second-largest carbon sink after the oceans, plays a decisive role in combating the climate crisis.
He noted that 95 percent of global food production relies on soil, making its protection essential for both public health and food security amid a growing population.
Öztürk said erosion remains the leading cause of land degradation, with about 75 billion tons of soil lost worldwide and 642 million tons lost in Türkiye each year. “If this continues, soil productivity in Türkiye will drop by 50 percent by 2050, while food demand will rise by the same rate,” he said.
This year’s World Soil Day theme, “Healthy Soil for Healthy Cities,” highlighted how urban challenges, from food security to heat islands, are closely tied to soil health and expanded green spaces.
He added that TEMA has played a key role in advancing soil protection legislation and awareness, planting more than 43 million saplings and 700 million acorns nationwide.
The foundation also aims to strengthen ecological literacy among children, youth and leaders with nature education programs implemented across the country's 81 provinces, emphasizing that “protecting soil means protecting life.”
