Global visionary Sadhguru hails UAE's efforts towards soil regeneration

Global visionary Sadhguru hailed the UAE for its efforts towards soil regeneration and endeavouring to convert sand into soil to preserve the vital ecosystem.

Taking to the stage in Dubai on Friday evening, the Indian yogi gave an insightful talk on soil conservation and seeking practical solutions as part of an event organised by the Conscious Planet Movement to Save Soil (Conscious Planet) in collaboration with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE).

He passionately called on the gathering, that drew the participation of around 10,000 people at the Dubai World Trade Center (DWTC), to protect Earth’s soil for the next generation.

The visionary and social reformer Sadhguru Jagadish Vasudev’s, 100-day solo motorcycle trip spanning 30,000 kilometers and 27 countries, from London to the southern tip of India seeks to address the soil crisis by bringing together people from around the world to stand up for soil health and urging leaders to develop and implement national policies that’ll save the world’s soil from extinction.

“If you add organic content to sand it becomes soil, if you take away all the organic content from the soil it becomes sand. That is what the UAE is doing… adding organic content to the sand and making it soil. It is a commendable direction that it has taken. The UAE’s Minister of Climate Change and Environment, Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, is so passionate about this and she is taking this ahead. But the scale is not enough because turning a desert into agricultural land is an enormous effort and expensive.”

“But the entire world is busy converting fertile soil into desert. This is what the rest of the world is doing now. Not even a single nation in the world has minimum three per cent organic content in its soil. The highest organic content that you find in the world is in Northern Europe, which is 1.48 per cent which is less than half of what is less than half of what is minimum. Southern Europe has 1.1 to 1.2 per cent. The United States has 1.25 to 1.3 per cent. India has 0.68 per cent. Africa as a continent has 0.3 per cent, which is disastrous. So, this is where we are,” he added.

The 65-year-old who arrived in Abu Dhabi on May 17 elucidated on the people movement aiming to shine light on the urgency of soil conservation and the alarming threat of soil degradation.

He aimed to seek actionable solutions by sensitising humanity to convert the land around into productive soils.

Sadhguru said, “Knowingly or unknowingly, every one of us has been a part of this destruction. The only way forward is for every one of us to become a part of the solution. The solution is neither too complex, nor does it need any new technology, nor does it need great financial outlays. The only thing necessary is to face the right direction and a relentless commitment to fulfil that. This is all it takes to regenerate the world’s soils.”

Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, opined how the disturbing soil erosion around the world, and the desire to understand what we see, reminded him of the UAE’s most prominent environmentalist.

He said, “Our nation’s founder, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. He had a deep love of nature. After Sheikh Zayed’s passing, our country’s concern for the environment continued to intensify so that now the UAE, led by the President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has established many environmental initiatives and organisations.”

“In the spirit of the love of nature, we must all continue to explore ways to improve how we plan, protect, manage, and use our natural resources. I also believe there is a strong connection between our spiritual values and how we care for the environment. Our spiritual values provide the moral imperative to ensure that all people in all countries can enhance their standard of living without acting in ways that will leave their future generations living and working in a barren environment,” Sheikh Nahyan added.

Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, urged people to work collaboratively, “Let’s all work together to preserve our soil for the next generations. That is because how we act today will determine what the whole world will eat tomorrow.”

Highlighting on the need to rally around issues that’ll bolster food-producing agricultural soil and address soil crisis, she added,

“In the UAE, we have developed several strategies and policies that aim not only to enhance food security but also to implement sustainable soil management systems. These include the National Food Security Strategy, the National Strategy to Combat Desertification, and the UAE General Environmental Policy. We also support the outcomes of COP26 that consider soil a vital component of sustainable farming systems.”

• Dubai