World Soil Day-2015 was observed in the city yesterday with a call to formulate a policy for soil development to save soil to maintain biodiversity.   The theme of the day this year was 'Soil a solid ground for life'.  World Soil Day-2015 was observed on December 04 at the Food and Agriculture Headquarters in Rome and FAO regional offices worldwide to connect people with soil and raise awareness on its critical importance in life.  A get-together of farmers and development activists was held on this occasion at Central Shaheed Minar of the city following a procession from Barisal Ashwini Kumar Hall.  
Seven development organisations, including Association for Sanitation and Economic Development (ASED), Prantojon Trust, Democratic Development Centre (DDC), Kamfist, Development Organisation of Coastal Area's People (DOCAP), SHIELD and RUPSA jointly organised the programme.  Presided over by Shawkat Ali Khan Badal, the programme was addressed, among others, by Anwar Zahid, Dr Syed Habibur Rahman, S M Shahjada, Liakat Hossain Khan, Mizanur Rahman, Shakhawat Hossain, Mojibor Rahman Khan, Sheuli Begum, Shuvangkar Chakraborty, development and right activists.  
The speakers at the programme observed that soil is the basis for food, feed, fuel and fibre production and for services to ecosystem and human wellbeing.   It is the shelter for at least a quarter of global biodiversity.  Soils play a key role in the supply of clean water and resilience to floods and droughts.   The largest store of terrestrial carbon is in the soil so that its preservation may contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation.   
The maintenance or enhancement of global soil resources is essential if humanity’s need for food, water, and energy security is to be met, they observed.    “We fail to connect soil with our food, water, climate, biodiversity and life. We must invert this tendency and take up some preserving and restoring actions,” a speaker noted.    
Soil has importance as a component of the natural system and as a vital contributor to the human welfare through its contribution to food, water and energy security, they observed. They also placed a six-point demand that includes adapting a policy for soil management and using soil in best way and utility, execution of sustainable plan for using soil to boost agricultural production and ensuring food security and maintaining environment and biodiversity.