Sustainable land management (SLM) refers to the responsible use of land resources, including soils, water, animals and plants, and the production of goods while ensuring the land’s long-term productivity. SLM is at the core of food security and climate resilience.
ISRIC actively stimulate and showcase the use of soil information in SLM. Decision support services range from maps that support decision-making at the regional level, to operational software that allow land managers to receive site specific advice on how to manage their land, soil and crops. With the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) based decision support services, the need for accurate and fit-for-purpose soil information has become more critical.
ISRIC focuses on the development of spatial information products that support the adequate management and use of specific soils and can be used by (AI based) decision support services. The information products developed combine information on soil, crops, landscape, and climate, and are generated through modelling approaches to support soil fertility management, soil and water conservation, and land suitability assessment. Examples of these products are soil fertility maps for a specific crop, soil nutrient supply maps, maps showing salt affected soil, maps showing soils acidity informing soil liming, and land suitability maps. Working closely with developers of decision support tools, ISRIC engages in projects that aim to further develop Decision Support Tools for SLM.
Further, ISRIC contributes to the formulation of soil health indicators and uses these in the development of spatial soil health information products. Soil and water conservation activities relate to soil erosion and land degradation monitoring and focus on the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
Methods and tools developed and used to produce the mentioned soil functional information products are available via the ISRIC Resource Library.