The Cabinet, during its meeting on 20 November 2012, acknowledged the proposal by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives on the celebration of World Soil Day.
According to a report submitted by the Ministry of Agriculture and
Cooperatives, the Chairman of the International Union of Soil Sciences, Dr.
Stephen Northcliff, in his audience with His Majesty the King on 16 April 2012
at Siriraj Hospital, presented the Humanitarian Soil Scientist award to His
Majesty the King, honoring him as the first recipient of the award in the world
for his dedication to soil resource management.
The 17th World Congress of Soil Science, held in Bangkok in August 2002,
showed to the world at large His Majesty the King’s ingenuity in solving
various soil problems and soil use to help in cultivation. His work has
inspired many international soil scientists to follow and develop further methods
to improve sustainable soil management.
The International Union of Soil Sciences made a resolution in 2002 to
propose the 5th of December, the birthday of His Majesty, as World Soil Day, to
honor His Majesty the King of Thailand for his promotion of soil science and
soil resource conservation.
Recognizing the crucial role of soils for food security and considering the
enormous challenges for their sustainable management and protection, the Food
and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) decided in June 2012,
for the first time, to celebrate World Soil Day in 2012 with the theme
“Securing healthy soils for a food secure world” and to advocate widely to
place soils at the top of the development agenda worldwide. The annual
celebration of World Soil Day aims to highlight the importance of soil to
societies across the world and the need to use it on a sustainable basis.
In tackling soil degradation, for instance, His Majesty the King called for
the use vetiver grass to stop soil erosion. His Majesty initiated the klaeng
din project in the southern province of Narathiwat, where he found a
solution to soil acidity. The theory of klaeng din is an
innovative project for the first-ever application of technology to lessen soil
acidity in swamp areas in tropical regions.
Literally meaning “playing a trick on soil,” klaeng din is
a soil treatment process. It exemplifies His Majesty’s ingenuity as a true
innovator, by integrating innovation in technology with proper management in
order to solve the problem of soil acidity. This innovation has brought about
much-improved soil fertility, enabling farmers to grow many useful and
profitable varieties of plants.
In celebrating World Soil Day 2012, the Ministry of Agriculture and
Cooperative has assigned the Land Development Department to organize various
activities, such as an exhibition featuring His Majesty’s activities on soil
development and environmental management. Discussions on related issues will
also be held for public education.
(thailand.prd.go.th)