Soil Museum

Problem Overview

With the rising global threat to food security, the importance of soil in agriculture and how soil responds to changing environments is crucial, especially in marginal environments such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE). What happens underground? How is this changing? What are the impacts? These questions are worth answering and exploring. The sandy soils that cover close to 75% of the UAE require special management practices for productive cultivation. Due to the specific desert and hot eco-environment in which they are found, UAE soils are prone to severe land degradation reducing their productive capacity. Yet, the UAE deserts are dynamic and there is a need to have a record of them. Usually, soils are preserved in natural history museums but there are very few soil museums in the world and none in the Arab region.

 

Project Description

Provide a better understanding of the value of soil for informational and educational purposes through the display of monoliths of key soils and online access to United Arab Emirates Soil Information System. Initially, the soils of the United Arab Emirates and later expand to include the soils of all Gulf Corporation Council countries.

 

Research Innovation Theme
Assessment of Natural Resources in Marginal Environments
Duration
January 2010 - August 2018
Project Lead
Project Region
Near East and North Africa
Project Countries
United Arab Emirates
Partner(s)
  • Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
  • Ministry of Environment and Water, United Arab Emirates