**1. Introduction**

Covid-19, a novel, fast moving global pandemic [1] caused by the Severe acute respiratory Syndrome Corona virus-2 (SARS-Cov-2 virus) [2] Which has engulfed the world since 2019 has recorded over 3,117,542 deaths as of week 16 2021 [3]. A disease that was noticed in Wuhan China firstly and later reported to World Health Organization (WHO) on 31st December 2019, sinking major World economies with major impact on health, Aviation, agriculture, hospitality, education, sports, oil and gas [4, 5] almost all sectors of life. Since the outbreak, a lot of awareness have been

created drawing the attention of humanity to it. Due to the nature of the disease, countries of the world have committed fortune to the tune of over USD 11.7 trillion [6] see to its eradication yet the disease is worsening.

Beyond covid-19 pandemic is an environmental issue of major concern to all nations of the world known as soil degradation: a major and most prominent subset of land degradation. The global spread (**Figure 1**) threatens the sustainability of human life [7].

By 2050, 50–700 million people worldwide are likely to be forced to migrate due to a combination of climate change and land degradation [8]. Soil, one of the world's limited, nonrenewable resources takes between 200 and 1000 years to form 2.5 cm of its top [9]. Word wide eroded soil up to the tune of 50 billion tons each year costs up to US\$150 billion (US\$3 per ton), nutrient loss in eroded soil costs US\$100 billion per ton and offsite impacts cost US\$400 billion per tons [9]. Apart from the above mentioned, European Commission documented that the process of soil degradation can lead to collapse of ecosystem and landscape structures such as those of **Figures 2**–**5** making societies more vulnerable to extreme weather conditions, risks political instability and food insecurity.

**Figure 1.** *Global distribution of soil degradation.*

**Figure 2.** *People risking abandoning their homes to erosion.*

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

**Figure 3.** *Road cut as a result of soil degradation.*

#### **Figure 4.** *Active gully site in Owerri Imo State.*

**Figure 5.** *Agro forestry. Source: [52].*

To fulfill the food demand of the increasing human population especially in developing countries most of whom living terrifyingly close to poverty line, greater attention must be paid to sustainability of arable land usage [11], which must have to increase by 13% or 120 million by 2030 [12]. The associated crises affecting the quality of human diet, shifting attention to highly processed foods with less available fresh vegetables and fruits could create health challenge vicious cycles thus making a fertile ground for covid 19 and other related health issues to thrive. European Commission [8] documents "Caring for Soil is Caring for Life" stipulated that 75 % of the world's soils ought to be sound/healthy for food, people, nature and climate and doing so, will help to achieve the UN 2015 sustainable development

goal no. 15: Life on Land. Food production is a factor of soil quality, therefore, the restoration of soil quality and functionality strengthens the resilient of soil for food production and environmental friendliness.
