International Network of Salt-affected Soils (INSAS)
The International Network of Salt-Affected Soils (INSAS) is a Technical Network of FAO’s Global Soil Partnership (GSP), operating according to its Rules of procedure.
INSAS supports joint efforts towards the sustainable management of salt-affected soils (SAS) for food security, agricultural sustainability, environmental protection, and climate change mitigation.
Functions, duties and more
Soil salinization and sodification are major threats to global food security and hinder the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as identified in the Status of the World’s Soil Resources report (FAO and ITPS, 2015).
Several global fora on salt-affected soils such as the Global Forum on Salinization and Climate Change (Valencia, Spain 2010), the Third International Salinity Forum (Riverside, USA 2014), and Saline Futures (Leeuwarden, the Netherlands 2019) highlighted the need for an integrated approach to manage salt-affected soils. This requires integrating knowledge on soil, water and plants with practical solutions through joint actions brought about by collaboration among scientists, international organizations, research institutions, farmer associations, policy makers, and governments.
This need for an integrated approach is why INSAS was established in June 2019 during the 7th GSP Plenary Assembly, following a recommendation from its Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS). It aims to promote sustainable and productive management of salt-affected soils for present and future generations.
- Promote the sustainable management of salt-affected soils;
- Develop a harmonized approach and identify indicators for the assessment, mapping and monitoring of salt-affected soils;
- Develop guidelines and manuals on good practices for the sustainable management of salt-affected soils;
- Provide a platform for capacity development, knowledge sharing and technical cooperation;
- Foster collaboration among INSAS member countries ;
- Strenghten the collaboration between scientists, practitioners and policy-makers ; and
- Advocate for hating and reversing trends in soil salinization and sodification.
Any partner of FAO’s Global Soil Partnership can become an INSAS member.
- Register online via the INSAS membership form
- Alternatively, you may download the application form in English, French or Spanish and send it to [email protected] and [email protected] in cc).
Institutions, academia, NGOs, civil society, farmer associations, and other stakeholders engaged in the sustainable and productive management of salt-affected soils are welcome to join.
Register HereWorking groups (WGs)
Focus: mapping, assessing and monitoring salt-affected soils
Activities include:
- Organization of workshops and webinars;
- Promotion of proximal soil sensing tools (EMI, gamma-ray, DEM, soil spectroscopy);
- Development of methodologies and guidelines for SAS mapping, measurement and assessment for different stakeholders (including farmers); and
- Development and updates of Standard Operating Procedures for salinity / sodicity / alkalinity measurements, jointly with GLOSOLAN.
Focus: sustainable practices and policy frameworks for management of salt-affected soils
Activities include:
- Sharing policy tools and legal frameworks (through webinars, workshops, and SoilEX);
- Creating a database of good policy practices: recommending improved soil and water use methodes under saline conditions; and
- Supporting field-level learning through FAO’s GSP Global Soil Doctors Programme.
Focus: Halophyte agriculture and salt-tolerant crops and plants
Activities include:
- Collaborating with WASAG’s Saline Agriculture working group;
- Promoting a UN Year of saline agriculture;
- Supporting SAS countries with the transformation of their agrifood systems to become more adapted to saline soils and water, e.g. sustainable saline agriculture and growth of halophytes;
- Conducting training and webinars on halophyte farming and saline agriculture for decision‑makers and other stakeholders; and
- Incorporating saline agriculture and halophytes into the Global Soil Doctors Programme.
Focus: integrated soil and water management in saline/sodic conditions
Activities include:
- Developing a manual on sustainable water management;
- Formulating basic principles for sustainable soil and water management;
- Promoting the monitoring of irrigation water quality; and
- Sharing practices through trainings and a best practices database.
Meetings
1st INSAS meeting (International Network on Salt-affected Soils)
14/04/2021 - 15/04/2021
The mission of INSAS is to support and facilitate joint efforts towards the sustainable management of salt-affected soils for food security, agricultural...
GSP’s International Network on Salt-Affected Soils at COP26
09/11/2021
You are welcome to join the event through Youtube’s live stream available at: https://www.waterforclimate.net. Read more
2nd Meeting of the International Network on Salt-affected Soils INSAS | Uzbekistan, May 2023
22/05/2023 - 26/05/2023
The second meeting of the International Network of Salt-affected Soils (INSAS) will be held in Uzbekistan (Tashkent/Nukus) from the 22 to...
Hybrid Event
Salt-affected soils: threats and potentials | 27 - 31 May, 2024 | Valencia, Spain
27/05/2024 - 31/05/2024
Webinars
24/4
2024
INSAS Webinar " Crop nutrition in salt-affected soils " | 24 April 2024, 16:00-17:30 (CEST)
Hybrid Event, 24/04/2024
25/3
2024
INSAS Webinars | « Salinity in Sub-Saharan Africa: Impacts and Initiatives» | 25 March 2024
Hybrid Event, 25/03/2024
We are pleased to invite you to the webinar “Salinity in Sub-Saharan Africa: Impacts and Initiatives”. During th...
Publications
Key document
Status of the World's Soil Resources: Main Report
12/10/2018
The 2015 Status of the World’s Soil Resources (SWSR) is a reference document on the status of global soil resources that provides regional assessments...
Status of the World's Soil Resources - Technical Summary
15/10/2018
This document presents a summary of the first Status of the World’s Soil Resources report, the goal of which is to make clear the essential connections...
Key document
Voluntary Guidelines for Sustainable Soil Management
19/06/2018
The guidelines provide technical recommendations on how SSM can be achieved. The VGSSM are of a voluntary nature and are not legally binding. They elaborate...
Handbook for saline soil management. Eurasian Soil Partnership implementation plan
21/06/2018
This handbook has been prepared for the training workshop on innovative methods of amelioration and use of salt-affected soils, which takes place in...
.png?sfvrsn=5f807679_1 "Technical specifications and country guidelines for Global Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration Potential Map (GSOCseq)")
Technical specifications and country guidelines for Global Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration Potential Map (GSOCseq)
03/08/2020
This document provides technical specifications and guidance for the generation of national Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration Potential (GSOCseq) maps...
Mapping of Salt-affected Soils - Technical Specifications and Country Guidelines
24/08/2020
This Lesson is the first step of the capacity-building program, which is designed to build national capacities as well as harmonize procedures for developing...
Salt-affected soils are a global issue. ITPS Soil Letters # 3
19/05/2021
Naturally saline or sodic soils host valuable ecosystems, including a range of rare plants, that are adapted to the extreme conditions. However, salt-affected...
Global map of salt-affected soils: GSASmap v1.0
20/10/2021
Naturally saline or sodic soils host valuable ecosystems, including a range of rare plants, that are adapted to extreme conditions..
Global Symposium on Salt-Affected Soils: Outcome document
04/05/2022
The GSAS21 was held virtually on the Zoom platform on 20-22 October 2021 and was attended by over 4 000 participants..
Global status of black soils
05/12/2022
Black soils are carbon-rich and highly fertile soils known as the world's food basket due to the variability of crops they sustain..
Proceedings of the Second Meeting of the International Network of Salt-Affected Soils (INSAS) Managing salt-affected soils for a sustainable future
01/01/2023
The proceedings of the second meeting of the International Network of Salt-Affected Soils (INSAS) contain the abstracts of the papers presented during...