Protecting the soil is protecting the climate WASWAC and IUSS position paper on the inter linkages of soil and climate change

•The anthropic climate change destabilizes the resilience of soil resources which simultaneously are important as climate regulators.•The potential of the soil as a climate regulator is an important option that has not yet been adequately developed in the fight against climate change.•History reveals that the conservation of soil and water resources has been crucial to the longevity of any civilization and has therefore shaped human history.•A radical change in the way we perceive and use soil resources is necessary to address climate change and preserve an enabling future for the new generations.