The World Data Centre for Soils (WDC-Soils) is a regular member of the World Data System (WDS), an affiliated body of the International Science Council (ISC). They provide a focal point for soil-related collections and information services, and ensure their long-term preservation and archiving.

Our resources include soil specimens, country documentation, and geo-referenced databases. Many of these are available freely on-line, and can be used to underpin a wide range of studies of environmental, societal and economic sustainability.

The Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Environment (DARBE) of the African Union, in collaboration with AUDA-NEPAD, RECs and partners, is organising the Africa Fertiliser and Soil Health (AFSH) Summit on 7-9 May in Nairobi, Kenya.

The Summit will discuss various issues around fertiliser and soil health in Africa and the implications on the agricultural, health, and social well-being of the continent.

Since its last release in 2020, SoilGrids, ISRIC-World Soil Information's flagship system for global digital soil mapping, has received an average of 15,000 data requests per month. In the same year, in line with ISRIC's mission to make its products easily and widely accessible, selected SoilGrids layers were uploaded to Google Earth Engine, further expanding access for data users.

Climate change significantly impacts the quality and resilience of land, leading to food and nutrition insecurity for Kenya's growing population. Enhancing access to land, soil, and crop information can effectively support improved soil fertility management and soil and water conservation, mitigating the impacts of climate change while ensuring sustainable agricultural practices.

The European Union Soil Strategy for 2030 has established a framework and concrete measures to protect and restore soils, ensuring they are used sustainably. It has set a goal to achieve healthy soils by 2050, with concrete actions by 2030. An EU Directive on Soil Monitoring and Resilience to anchor these goals in regulations is in negotiation.

In early February 2024, "pedometricians" from five continents gathered in Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA, to attend the 2024 Pedometrics Conference hosted by New Mexico State University. The conference aimed to discuss the latest scientific developments and learn about the fascinating soils and landscapes of southern New Mexico. The conference's theme was the "10 Challenges for the Future of Pedometrics", developed by a collective including ISRIC-World Soil Information Special Professor Gerard Heuvelink.

_{Scatter density plot of measured CEC values versus the ‘true’ CEC (with 1:1 line in black)}

A new open access paper titled "Effect of measurement error in wet chemistry soil data on the calibration and model performance of pedotransfer functions", with ISRIC-World Soil Information colleague Cynthia van Leeuwen as main author, was recently published in Geoderma.

Access the paper here

In an exciting development, the Africa Soil Information Community of Practice is pleased to announce the appointment of new ambassadors who will spearhead the community's initiatives and drive collaborative growth among its members.

The Africa Soil Information Community of Practice has been a hub for soil professionals, enthusiasts, and experts to come together, exchange knowledge, and foster innovation in their respective fields. With the addition of these dynamic ambassadors, the community is set to reach new heights.

SoilGrids^TM, ISRIC - World Soil Information’s flagship global digital soil maps, are now available for use in the ESRI® Living Atlas of the World.

Inside ESRI® Living Atlas, a collection of geographic information from around the globe, including maps, apps, and data layers, you can now access and use these 11 SoilGrids soil property maps at 250 meter resolution:

On December 5, 2023, the ISRIC World Soil Museum hosted a one-hour online celebration of World Soil Day’s 2023 theme: Soil and Water: a source of life.

The event program held three parts, all connected the soil-water theme: