Asian Soil Partnership (ASP)

Yuji Niino

FAO RAP

23 July 2014

Establishment of the ASP

• Launched in February 2012 through a Letter of Agreement funded by FAO/GSP and implemented by the Institute of Soil Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ISSCAS). The objectives were to: a) establish the Asian Soil Partnership and b) develop the Asian Soil Information System Phase I (converting soil information for Harmonized World Soil Database and soil legacy data rescue). Project activities will end in December 2014 and 14 countries participating.

• Nanjing Communiqué, Tsukuba Statement were prepared, where the Institute of Soil Science-Chinese Academy of Sciences is the provisional Secretary.

• A meeting of the ASP was held in Bogor, Indonesia during the ESAFS soil congress where ISSCAS has confirmed as the Secretariat of ASP.

• Agreement was reached to establish a Steering Committee in 2014. But this has not been done yet.

• After the GSP Plenary Assembly, the development of the implementation plan will start.

Nanjing, China 8-11 February 2012

Launch of the Asian Soil Partnership Nanjing, February, 2012

Asian Soil Partnership

16 countries / regions

Provission of national inputs for the Asian Soil information System

Mongolia Philippines Sri Lanka

China

Bangladesh

Bhutan

Malaysia

Nepal

Republic of Korea

Vietnam

Way forward

• Full establishment of the Steering Committee.

• Preparation of the Implementation Plan.

• Application of digital soil mapping techniques for improving Asia soil data.

• Finalize phase I of the Asia soil information system and move into the provision of soil information services to different users.

• Sharing soil knowledge and techniques within and beyond the Asia region

• Training young experts in sustainable soil management.