1. An introduction to the first ever Soil Atlas of Africa
Raising awareness of the value of soil across Africa
Author:
Martin Yemefack
IRAD Nkolbisson & visiting scientist at IITA-Cameroon,
An introduction to the first ever Soil Atlas of Africa
Introduction
The Soil Atlas of Africa book, a collaborative initiative of Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission, FAO and the Africa Soil Science Society (ASSS) has been published in For the first time ever, this atlas collects vital information on African soils and highlights the importance of this non-renewable resource. With its stunning full colour maps and illustrations, it explains in a comprehensible and visually appealing way the diversity of soil across the African continent and why it is so important to preserve this precious resource. This atlas which compiles the contributions of dozens of soil experts from Africa and Europe, is a much-needed source of information for policy makers and researchers and will be the basis for a pan-African assessment on the state of soil resources.
Aims of the atlas :
Soil in Africa is generally undervalued – especially by policy makers but not only. The aim of this book is (i) to raise the awareness of the general public, policymakers, NGOs, and other scientists of the importance of soil in Africa; (ii) to provide educational material to schools & university, (iii) to support African/EU/worldwide policies and instruments for Investment, Agriculture, Environmental Issues, Climate Change, Development and Aid Assistance, Urban Planning.
To fulfill these requirements, the Atlas has the following specificities:
High quality, benchmark reference work on the soils of Africa
Written for general public, policy makers, environmental science, educationalists…
Not aimed ‘primarily’ at soil scientists but…
Informative, easy to read, graphically stimulating
Lead to a better understanding and appreciation of the importance of soil across Africa
Contents
New WRB Map:
Other issues of relevance:
More than maps:
The Atlas also provide up-to-date information on:
Editorial Board
Arwyn Jones
European Commission Joint Research Centre, Italy (Chair);
Henrik Breuning-Madsen
University of Copenhagen, Denmark;
Michel Brossard
Institut de recherche pour le developpement, Montpellier, France;
Almami Dampha
African Union Commission, Ethiopia;
Jozef Deckers
KU Leuven, Belgium;
Olivier Dewitte
European Commission Joint Research Centre, Italy;
Tahar Gallali
Faculte des Sciences de Tunis, Tunisia;
Stephen Hallett
World Soil Survey Archive and Catalogue, Cranfield University, UK;
Robert Jones
Method Kilasara
Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania;
Pieter Le Roux
University of the Free State, South Africa;
Erika Micheli
Szent Istvan University, Hungary / IUSS WRB WG;
Luca Montanarella
Otto Spaargaren
ISRIC- World Soil Information, The Netherlands;
Lamourdia Thiombiano
FAO Regional Office for Africa, Ghana;
Eric Van Ranst
Ghent University, Belgium;
Martin Yemefack
IRAD & IITA- Cameroon, Yaounde;
Robert Zougmore
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Mali.
Africa.
What is soil
African soil in a global context
The role and importance of soil
GIS/African soil databases
Soil forming factors and the African environment
Soil of the regions
Soils of the Mediterranean region, deserts, Sahel, rainforest, highlands and mountains, south, wetlands and valleys
Soil processes
Soil functions
Soil and Food Security
Soil assessment/land evaluation
Introduction to soil classification
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
Development of soil classification in Africa
Future perspectives/ challenges/ conclusions
WRB: a harmonizing approach
Major soil types of Africa
Indigenous soil classifications
Materials and methods
Maps:
Harmonized World Soil Database (HWSD)
Soil mapping units – use of dominant soil types
FAO 74 and FAO 90 classifications ‘translated’ to WRB
Key properties for soil characteristics maps: texture, pH, organic carbon, water storage capacity, etc.
Additional updates.
Mapping:
The book
After
Before
Final product: hard back book of 174 A3 pages/A2 Spreads
High visibility! High-level political launch event: EU-Africa Summit, Addis April 2013 with Presidents of AU and EU
Scientific launch event: ASSS/EASSS Conference Nakuru
Low cost (€25/$35/KES 2900) or free!
Format: Physical book/Downloadable pdf (free)
French version: 2013: Translation. 2014: Editing, Layout & Printing /15: Launch
This atlas is a great achievement, but, soil scientists working in Africa, still have more to do for the development of this continent