Soil is Our Timeless Refuge: GAU VC

Gazipur Agricultural University’s Vice-Chancellor and soil & environmental scientist, Professor Dr. GKM Mustafizur Rahman, reminded the nation that “soil is not merely a resource it is a timeless refuge for our very existence.” He made the remark in his address marking World Soil Day 2025. Highlighting this year’s theme, “Healthy Soil for Healthy Cities,” he described urban soil as a silent life-force that sustains city living, yet one that is rapidly deteriorating under the pressures of unplanned urbanization. Citing scientific findings, he noted that excessive concrete seals the ground, blocking air and water movement and ultimately destroying beneficial soil microbes, fungi and insects essential for natural soil fertility. Industrial heavy-metal pollution such as lead, cadmium and arsenic disrupts nutrient cycles and stunts root growth. Poor waste management and overuse of chemicals further increase soil acidity, diminish water-holding capacity and leave the soil hard and lifeless. Offering solutions, he emphasized permeable pavements and green roofs to restore moisture and microbial life, community composting to enrich organic matter and urban tree planting to improve biodiversity and soil stability. He also stressed the value of phytoremediation, using select plants to gradually remove contaminants. Professor Rahman called for seeing soil not just as farmland but as a living ecosystem at the root of urban sustainability. He noted that Gazipur Agricultural University continues to lead research, innovation and policy support for restoring urban soil health. “Let us treat soil not simply as a resource, but as a responsibility,” he urged, reminding all that World Soil Day is observed globally every year on 5 December.