Abu Dhabi, May 19 (IANS): Sadhguru's Abu Dhabi visit was part of his campaign, 'Journey to Save Soil', from London to the southern tip of India, spanning 100 days, 30,000 kms, and 27 countries.
Through his solo motorcycle trip, he aims to address the soil crisis by bringing together people from around the world to stand up for soil health and supporting leaders in developing and implementing national policies to save soil.
The UAE leg of Sadhguru's journey will culminate with a large-scale public event at Dubai World Trade Centre on Friday (May 20) that is expected to attract 10,000 people.
During Sadhguru's visit to Jubail Mangrove Park in Abu Dhabi, the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) and the Conscious Planet Movement to Save Soil (Conscious Planet) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to initiate cooperation in protecting food-producing agricultural soil in the UAE from degradation.
The agreement was signed in the presence of Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment.
Highlighting the importance of the MoU, Mariam Almheirisaid, "The harsh environmental conditions in the UAE, including high temperatures, high evaporation rates, limited and irregular rainfall, and the fragile structure and low natural fertility of the soil, are natural drivers of soil degradation. Desert accounts for more than 80 per cent of our country's territory, which makes us all the more cautious to preserve our soil and the vital ecosystem services it provides."
Sadhguru said, "It is not the rain that brings greenery, it is the greenery that begets rain. Wherever there is sunlight, with a bit of effort, we can turn the land around into living and productive soils. The UAE, with its visionary and determined leadership, can and should make this possible."
Conscious Planet is a global campaign, founded by Sadhguru to inspire a conscious approach to saving the world's soil. Its aim is to activate the support of over 3.5 billion people and assist governments in formulating policies that will address soil health and make the farming activity more soil-friendly to halt and reverse further soil degradation.
The primary recommendation of the movement is for governments across the globe to adopt policies that will mandate a minimum of 3-6 per cent organic content in all agricultural soil in their countries.