NOVEL SOLUTIONS FOR MITIGATING DROUGHT IMPACT AND RESTORING SOIL FUNCTIONALITY IN AGRICULTURE

Drought and soil degradation represent critical challenges to sustainable agriculture and global food security, because they limit crop productivity and disrupt ecosystem services. The paper explores novel solutions designed to mitigate the impacts of drought and restore soil functionality in agricultural systems. The proposed approaches integrate innovative soil amendments, such as biochar and compost-based bioproducts, with advanced water conservation techniques and biological interventions aimed at improving soil structure, fertility, and moisture retention. Furthermore, the study examines the role of microbial inoculants and organic matter management in enhancing soil resilience to climatic stressors. This paper focuses on the analysis of case studies that illustrate notable advances in mitigating the effects of drought and improving the quality of agricultural soils through the use of unconventional and innovative technologies. The results highlight the effectiveness of integrating biological, physical, and chemical strategies, carefully adapted to specific site conditions. The adoption of these novel approaches has the potential to enhance the resilience of agricultural systems to climate variability, while simultaneously supporting productivity and long-term sustainability. This research supports the development of climate-smart agricultural approaches that harmonize productive farming with long-term environmental sustainability. This paper synthesizes and critically evaluates the most effective and current strategies identified in recent literature, offering a comprehensive overview aimed at advancing efforts to combat climate change.