2. - LAC is a reach territory in terms of their natural resources. High
biodiversity and variability of resources makes the region one of the
most suitable agricultural land in the world available.
- However, soil degradation is a real issue across some landscapes in
the region, especially due to unsustainable land management
practices.
- Natural resources geo-information is quite available at regional
and national level, in some cases freely available on internet.
- Spatial variability of soils is very high according to the different
landscapes.
BACKGROUND
4. - Rio workshop in 2010, funded by JRC, EMBRAPA and CIAT.
- Very heterogeneous across the region. Countries such as Brazil,
Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Panama, Cuba having strong and active
national soil institutions. Soil information available at national
level and also in scome cases at subnational level. Most of it
under GIS platforms. Digital Soil Mapping is also applied, specially
at research level.
- The situation in other countries is far behind and institutions
working on soils are not present or are rather weak. This happens
in Honduras, El Salvador, Bolivia and Paraguay.
- Private sector in some countries such as Honduras holds a very
reach soil database mainly focused at farm level.
SOIL INFORMATION AT NATIONAL LEVEL
11. - Soil information is still considered useful and most of the countries
in the region have gone through soil survey activities for many
years. However, in some cases they didn’t know how to use soil data
properly.
- Few countries count with soil institutions working at national level.
- DSM is not widely adopted in the region as some Pedologist refuse
to cross the borders from their expertise.
- Capacity development of current and future generations of soil
mappers was identified as key area to support.
- Generate a regional soil information system
NEEDS AND PRIORITIES IN THE REGION
12. - Short term: FAO through the GSP is funding initial activities in LAC
regarding soil legacy data (maps and profile data) systematization
and empowering of institutions. This activity is being implemented
by CIAT.
- Under the same project, EMBRAPA Solos will develop a Digital Soil
Mapping toolbox to implement it in a capacity development process.
- Twenty countries involved and with a lot expectations, specially
regarding training.
- Medium and long term: the development of the LACSIS (Latin-
American Soil Information System) using DSM approach but with the
leadership of the national institutions and local talent.
TOWARDS A LAC SOIL INFORMATION
SYSTEM