Training young professionals to deal with the problem of soil degradation is an important task for Georgia, Minister of Environment and Agriculture Otar Shamugia said in his welcoming speech at the event dedicated to the International Soil Day.
International Soil Protection Day was celebrated at the Ministry of Environment and Agriculture. The event has been celebrated worldwide since 2013 based on a decision taken at the 68th UN Assembly.
“Against the backdrop of climate change, the issue of soil degradation is acute. In this context, the training of young qualified specialists is an important task for the country. I think that by joint efforts we can ensure soil protection,” Shamugia said.
According to him, rational soil management is directly related to food security, which is an important task for the world community.
During his speech, the Minister drew attention to the state measures aimed at implementing the principles of sustainable soil management. According to him, in Georgia it is necessary to raise the awareness of the population about the importance of the soil and the need to protect it.
In addition, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economy Levan Davitashvili addressed the participants of the event and spoke about the importance of strengthening the country’s economy by maintaining soil fertility.
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Among the invited guests was the President of the Georgian National Academy of Sciences Giorgi Kvesitadze, who spoke about the importance of Georgia’s soil diversity.
“This small country has 29 soil-climatic zones and 14 soil types. This creates such a serious diversity that it is equivalent to almost the whole of Europe, which has 34 soils and 780 million people. This indicates the uniqueness of the country,” Kvesitadze said.
As part of the event, successful young professionals working in the public, private and non-governmental sectors of the agricultural sector, students of higher educational institutions, researchers working in the research field were awarded diplomas named after academician Tengiz (Giso) Urushadze, one of the founders of the Georgian school of soil science .
According to the order of the head of the Ministry of Agriculture, the award will become annual and take on a traditional character, which will stimulate young personnel and create the basis for promoting and supporting the field of soil science.
