The 6th GSP Plenary Assembly approved the establishment of the annual King Bhumibol World Soil Day Award (WSDA), as a recognition tool for individuals and/or institutions that have made an effort to organise successful celebrations within the framework of the previous year's World Soil Day campaign.

O WSDA's objective is to encourage WSD event organisers at all levels to facilitate challenging and exceptional celebrations around the world.

The prize is sponsored by the Kingdom of Thailandthe country that championed the creation of the now famous World Soil Day. The UN General Assembly decided in December 2013 to officially designate 5 December as World Soil Day to recognise the lifelong work and commitment of His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, who contributed significantly to improving the quality of life for millions of people through sustainable soil management.

The prize consists of a medal, a cheque for USD 15,000, as well as a trip to Thailand (if possible) to receive the award.

Eligibility

• The prize can be awarded to individuals, institutions, NGOs, academia, colleges and universities, private companies or any other organisations;
• A wide range of WSD events can be considered for the award. The event must follow the WSD theme of the year and take place between 1 and 15 December.

How to enrol?

• After the event is over, the organisers must send the WSD report (Fill in the notice) to the Secretariat (GSP-Secretariat@fao.org) of the Global Soil Partnership (GSP) in any of the official UN languages.
• Together with the report, WSD organisers are invited to complete their registration by sending it to the Secretariat:
  • photographs in high quality (preferably with subtitles);
  • videos (showing the work in progress and the results);
  • communication material or any publications related,
  • digital coverage (website/web stories/blog/social media); and
  • has shown great appeal in the media (i.e. media coverage and press releases);
• The photos taken throughout the event should be shared on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok) with the hashtags #WorldSoilDay e #GlobalSoilPartnership #UNFAO.

It is essential that organisers provide testimonials or evidence of the success of the World Soil Day celebration and the impact the event has had on raising awareness of the cause of healthy soils.

Deadline: 15th September 2023

Click HERE to sign up