Soil and water management perspectives for tropical and dryland areas of Africa

Abstract

Soil and water are two natural resources that deliver various functional services to humanity. Advanced soil and water management is highly needed in the tropics. This revision focused on soil and water management issues in the tropics, soil and water management linkages to major soil functional groups (soil health, soil quality, soil fertility, water quality, and soil function), soil quality management and rehabilitation, and soil quality assessment. This study revealed that soil indictors are physical, chemical and biological, reflecting a better understanding of the major soil functional groups in an integrated soil water assessment for better soil and water management in the tropics. Regular checks and balances of comprehensive soil water management can lead to reduced soil erosion, increased water use efficiency, enhanced soil nutritional content, improved infiltration and water holding capacity, minimized runoff and surface soil leaching of pesticides and inorganic chemicals to groundwater reservoirs, increased decomposition and soil organic matter, enhanced soil biodiversity, and increased plant health and food security. To make this viable, an integrated assessment of soil water indicators and the application of sustainable soil water management approaches are needed. Regular checks and balances of the current status of soil and water quality and soil fertility must be given permanent priority.