The Department of Geography, YIMS celebrated the World Soil Day 2018 “Dio Do Solo 2k18”. The retired ‘G’grade scientist Dr. Srikumar Chattopadhyay from NCESS inaugurated the function. The International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS), in 2002, adopted a resolution proposing the 5th of December as World Soil Day to celebrate the importance of soil as a critical component of the natural system and as a vital contributor to human well being.
Under the leadership of the Kingdom of Thailand and within the framework of the “Global Soil Partnership”, FAO has supported the formal establishment of World Soil Day as a global awareness raising platform.
The theme for World Soil Day 2017, as dedicated by the Global Soil Partnership, was “Caring for the Planet starts from the Ground”.
Soil is a finite natural resource; on a human time-scale it is non-renewable. However, despite the essential role that soil plays in human livelihoods, there is a worldwide increase in degradation of soil resources due to inappropriate management practices, population pressure driving unsustainable intensification and inadequate governance over this essential resource.
The Eminent Chief Guest of the day, Dr. Srikumar Chattopadhyay is a geographer at the Centre for Earth Science Studies, in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. He obtained his M. S. (1974) and Ph.D. (1986) in geography from the University of Calcutta. He obtained a P.G Diploma in applied geomorphology and environmental survey methods from the International Institute of Aerospace Survey and Earth Sciences, The Netherlands in 1987. He was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship in 1989-90 to conduct research on sustainable development in the Environment and Policy Institute, East-West Centre, Hawaii.
Dr. Chattopadhyay has authored one technical monograph, one discussion paper, three technical reports; has edited four books and published more than 80 research papers in national and international journals and seminar collections.
Dr. Chattopadhyay is one of the chief creators of people’s resource mapping, a technique for micro-level resource appraisal leading to environmentally sustainable development He actively participated in decentralized planning campaign in Kerala during 1996-2001 by providing technical inputs and training.
He is Chair of the Commission on Sustainable Development of the National Associa
tion of Geographers of India, a member of the General Council of Kerala Agricultural University, Thiruvananthapuram (2001-2004), and a member of the Programme Advisory Committee of the Kerala Research Programme for Local Level Development at the Centre for Development Studies. He served on various state government appointed committees to deal with natural resource management, poverty alleviation, and resource mapping.
Dr. Chattopadhyay speaks flawless English. He can talk on a wide range of topics related to environmental problems of India, environmental resource management, micro-level resource mapping, sustainable development and landscape analysis.
