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Soils are crucial if we are to ensure water, energy and food security for nine billion people by 2050. Soils sustain biodiversity and – if managed wisely – contribute to the mitigation of climate change. At the same time, they are a non-renewable resource within human timeframes. Nevertheless, we continuously transform this resource in unsustainable ways. This manifests itself in the loss of approximately 24 billion tonnes of fertile soil each year due to erosion. Insecurity or loss of land rights among local populations is a further expression of often unsustainable development pathways. To overcome these challenges, we need to consider soils in an integrated and holistic manner: in the nexus. Soils in the Nexus presents transdisciplinary perspectives and potential responses to soil-related challenges to sustainable development. In view of the International Year of Soils 2015, it provides insights into promising pathways towards the sustainable governance of soil and land.
