Soils of the world and sustainable water and soil management

Soil and water management in agro-eco systems are fundamental for sustainability and climate smart production. Both soil and water resources are often under threat of being over used and/or misused, undermining both local and global food security. Managing soils and water for sustainability is complex and requires expertise in different fields depending on for example climatic conditions, landscape features and land use management in the past. This course provides an international perspective on soil and water conditions in different agro ecosystems around the world. It will provide insights into soil morphology, soil formation and the most important properties of soils and how these affect land use. The course also includes exercises in soil classification according to the “World Reference Base for Soil Resources” and fieldwork/excursions. Further, it provides understanding on physical and agro-hydrological processes affected by various soil and water management, such as soil erosion and conservation, irrigation and drainage including water productivity assessment. Tools for assessing issues around soil and water management and how to develop solutions to address these, will be introduced and tested for tropical / sub-tropical agroecosystems to improve the understanding and potential for climate smart and sustainable development.