World Environment Day 2026 calls global attention to a simple but urgent reality: the planet is sending signals—and climate action is about how we respond. With the theme, “Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future,” this year’s observance reminds us that nature is not separate from climate action; it is central to it.
Across the world, these signals are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Rising temperatures, flooding, erosion, droughts, and unpredictable rainfall patterns are placing growing pressure on ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.
In West Africa and the Sahel, one of the clearest indicators of this pressure lies beneath our feet: the soil.
Agriculture remains the backbone of livelihoods across much of the region, yet the health and fertility of soils continue to decline. Estimates suggest that up to 65% of productive land in Africa is degraded, while 45% of the continent’s land area is affected by desertification. Nutrient depletion, unsustainable farming practices, climate variability, and limited access to appropriate soil fertility solutions have created a cycle of declining productivity, environmental degradation, and increasing vulnerability to climate shocks.
The challenge is compounded by the limited and inefficient use of fertilizers. While large-scale improvements in soil health are difficult to achieve without fertilizers, their effectiveness depends on healthy soils and appropriate application. In Sub-Saharan Africa, average fertilizer use remains approximately 22 kg/ha compared to a global average of 146 kg/ha. Where fertilizers are used, they often do not match the specific needs of soils and crops and may be applied without adequate advisory support, reducing efficiency and long-term impact.
These trends have implications far beyond agricultural productivity. They affect food security, rural livelihoods, ecosystem health, and the region’s ability to build resilience in the face of climate change.
As the Regional Hub for Fertilizer and Soil Health marks its second anniversary, this moment offers an opportunity to reflect on the critical role of soil health in shaping a more productive, resilient, and climate-smart future for West Africa and the Sahel.
Climate-Smart Agriculture: A Systems Approach, Not a Single Practice
Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA), as defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), is built on three interconnected objectives: sustainably increasing agricultural productivity and incomes, adapting and building resilience to climate change, and reducing or removing greenhouse gas emissions where possible. Simply put, Climate-Smart Agriculture refers to farming practices that help farmers adapt to climate change, sustain agricultural productivity, and protect natural resources for future generations.
Rather than focusing on a single intervention, CSA integrates practices such as:
- Balanced and efficient fertilizer use
- Organic soil amendments
- Agroforestry systems
- Crop rotation and diversification
- Water conservation and soil moisture management
At its core, CSA is about aligning agriculture with ecological systems rather than working against them. In regions where soils have been continuously depleted over time, this shift is critical.
Soil Health as Climate Infrastructure
The impacts of climate change and soil degradation are deeply interconnected.
Across West Africa and the Sahel, nutrient mining, erosion, desertification, erratic rainfall patterns, and low fertilizer use efficiency have weakened soil systems and reduced their capacity to support sustainable agricultural production. As soils lose organic matter and essential nutrients, they become less productive, less resilient, and more vulnerable to climate-related shocks.
Yet soil is more than a medium for plant growth. It is one of the world’s largest natural carbon reservoirs and a critical component of climate resilience.
When managed properly, soils can:
- Store carbon for long periods
- Improve water retention during droughts
- Reduce runoff and erosion during floods
- Support higher and more stable yields
This is where carbon sequestration becomes important.
Through photosynthesis, plants draw carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere and transfer part of it into the soil through roots and organic matter. With good management, this carbon remains stored in the soil instead of returning to the atmosphere, supporting both climate mitigation and soil fertility.
In this way, healthy soils contribute not only to agricultural productivity but also to broader climate adaptation and mitigation efforts, making them a critical form of natural infrastructure.
Why Soil Carbon Matters for the Future
Soil carbon sequestration is increasingly recognized as a key nature-based solution because it delivers multiple benefits simultaneously:
- Climate mitigation through CO₂ storage
- Improved soil fertility and structure
- Greater resilience to extreme weather
- Enhanced biodiversity in agricultural landscapes
Scientific assessments suggest that agricultural soils hold significant potential for additional carbon storage if managed sustainably, making them central to global climate strategies.
But this potential is not automatic. It depends on how land is managed today.
The Role of the Regional Hub: From Knowledge to Action
The Regional Hub for Fertilizer and Soil Health is an ECOWAS body responsible for supporting member countries in monitoring and improving soil health. It was established to improve long-term soil health and fertility management for enhanced agricultural yields and profitability, efficient resource use, and climate resilience across West Africa and the Sahel.
One of the Hub’s mandates is to advise on carbon accumulation and sequestration potential for specific soils, agroecologies, and farming systems in support of climate change mitigation opportunities.
By 2033, at least 1.5 million hectares of land will be under improved soil health—characterized by increased soil organic carbon, available phosphorus and potassium, reduced soil acidity and salinization, and reduced erosion—and at least 1.5 million farmers will have adapted their agriculture to climate change hazards.
Over the past two years, the focus has been on strengthening systems that support:
- Efficient fertilizer use through the 4Rs of Nutrient Stewardship (Right source, Right rate, Right time, Right place)
- Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM), which combines sustainable agronomic practices with the targeted and efficient use of inorganic and organic fertilizers
- Soil health restoration
- Climate-smart agricultural practices
- Evidence-based policy and coordination
Looking ahead, the Regional Hub’s focus remains clear:
- Strengthening soil systems across West Africa and the Sahel
- Improving productivity and resilience for millions of farmers
- Positioning soil health as a core pillar of climate action
The Ground Beneath Climate Action
World Environment Day 2026 reminds us that climate change is not only about the atmosphere; it is also about the systems beneath our feet.
Soil is not just a resource. It is infrastructure. In addition, in many ways, it is nature’s original climate solution.
As we mark this year’s observance and our second anniversary, the message is simple:
If we restore the soil, we restore the future.
About the Regional Hub
The Regional Hub for Fertilizer and Soil Health for West Africa and the Sahel is a collaborative initiative that brings together leading research, development, and private-sector partners to deliver science-driven solutions for sustainable agriculture. Hosted by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and supported by organizations including the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), OCP Africa, the African Plant Nutrition Institute (APNI), University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P), Accelerating the Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) and International Soil Reference and Information Centre (ISRIC), the Hub leverages data, soil testing, and fertilizer technologies to enhance productivity, efficiency, and resilience across regional food systems. With financial backing from the World Bank through CGIAR’s AICCRA project and OCP Africa, the Hub is committed to translating research into actionable solutions for farmers and policymakers, promoting long-term soil health, food security, and sustainable development for West Africa and the Sahel.
Learn more: https://soilhealthwa.iita.org/
Media Contacts
Ilerioluwa Oladipupo
I.Oladipupo@cgiar.org
Barbra Muzata
B.Muzata@cgiar.org
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