**5. Protecting the soil by planting windbreaks**

Windbreaks are trees or shrubs directly planted in linear or row form with an intent of reducing the speed of wind, improve the yield of crop and protect livestock from heat and cold. They have the ability of reducing wind speed for an approximate distance of 15 times the height of the tallest tree. Wind breakers also contribute to land scape beautification.

Application of organic manure in the soil [28] showed promising results in the reduction of runoff and sediment yield in selected soils of South Eastern Nigeria **Table 2**.

The organic amendments helped in building soil organic matter that encouraged binding of the soil. This increased the infiltration capacity of the soil.

### **6. Prospects**

Looking forward for brighter future, cleaner and bluer environment, awareness creation in schools, increase in soil literacy, soil health training especially in sub Saharan Africa, sustainable government policies can help curb the menace of soil degradation. The above prospects have the potential to contribute to major initiatives for reducing soil sealing, crusting, compaction.

If covid-19 lock down and restrictions between March and April 2020 achieved a lot of challenges facing humanity including lowering atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide [55], the making water of Ganges River drinkable, atmospheric air in rich industrial activity cities made purer, cities bluer than seen in decades [4, 56] significant human depopulation that is capable of creating cooling effects by providing conducive environment [57] which according to [4] the United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP21) could not solve, reduction in soil degradation could achieve more.

### **7. Conclusion**

Beyond global pandemic is soil degradation an issue of global concern that threatens the development of human globally. The concentration of soil degradation in developing countries where poverty level is high calls for urgent action. This work looked at soil degradation from the angles of the causes, impacts, and prospects and proffered some measures for its solution. We identified water erosion, wind erosion, surface sealing together with inappropriate land use practices as some of the major causes of soil degradation. In proffering solutions, we recognized that since water and wind erosion are the major causes, measures to control them should target protection of the soil from direct impact of water and wind erosion, build soil organic matter and increase the infiltration capacity of the soil should be adopted. Notable agronomic measures such as agro-forestry, mulching, strip cropping etc. were recommended. Proffering solutions to soil degradation will go a long way to achieving the UN sustainable goal no 15. Protection of life.

*Soil Degradation and the Human Condition, Including the Pandemic, Interactions, Causes… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.101153*
