Global situation

Regional situation

"For the last 100 years more land areas were cleared for settled agriculture than during all preceding centuries of mankind existence". Radionova I. Global problems of mankind. "With intensive use of land there is a necessity to think not only of how to take from it more, but simultaneously take care of its fertility". Bogolyubov S. "Ecology".

Global situation

According to Food and Agricultural Organisation data of the UNO (F.A.O.) the world's land reserves accounts for 13.4 billion hectares. Out of them: Cultivated areas (arable land and plantations) account for about 1.5 billion hectares (11 %); Pastures account for 3.2 billion hectares - 24 %; Forest and shrubs account for 4.1 billion hectares (41 %); Other lands (sands, stone space, lands intended for building ) account for 4.4 billion hectares (34 %) Over the period of 1961-1983 arable land area increased by approximately 0.08 billion hectares and its provision reduced from 0.45 to 0.31 hectares per capita. As a result of land irrational use the mankind lost 2 billion hectares of soil during the historic period of its existence. At present as a result of land degradation 6-7 million hectares of fertile soils get out of the world's agriculture turnover annually. These areas turned into deserts.

As a whole, soil degradation takes place very intensive on arid lands occupying 6.1 billion hectares. These processes are most typical for Asia and Africa. According to available data the total area of arid land desertification accounts for 4.7 billion hectares. The territory subjected to anthropogenic desertification makes up 900 million hectares with annual increase by 6 million hectares (or 60,000 kmІ). Reference: V. Maksakovsky. Geographical map of the world. Yaroslavl, 1996. Regional situation Click at this picture to enlarge T he territory of the Central Asian countries accounts for 400742.5 thousand hectares. The area of arable lands makes up 307378.6 thousand hectares, out of which hay - mowing and pastures occupy 262959.8 thous. hectares, arable lands occupy 43326.9 thousand hectares including irrigated soils occupying 7682.7 ths. hectares perennial fruit plantations occupy 754.5 thousand hectares. Lands being under construction occupy 189.9 thousand hectares, forest areas and other lands which are not used in agriculture occupy 93 174 thousand hectares. Inspection data of qualitative and quantitative state of arable lands conducted over the period from 1985 to 1993 allow us to make the following conclusions. Total arable land area decreased by 5.3% (15.6 million hectares) Main contribution to reducing arable lands was made by Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. On their territories arable land area reduced by 7.5 and 3.6 % respectively. Analogous changes occurred in arable land area - they reduced by 6.5 % (16.4 million hectares).The largest decrease of arable lands is being observed in Kazakhstan (9.2 %) and Kyrgyzstan(5%) ,increase of arable lands is being observed in Turkmenistan (by 1.5 %). Arable land quantity has a tendency to decrease as well. Over the given period arable land area in the region reduced by 1 million hectares. A chief share of this reduction was in Kazakhstan (3.5 %) and Uzbekistan (4.9 %) with a sharp increase of Turkmenistan arable lands (28.6 %). Arable lands area of perennial plants increased by 7.7 % (0.06 million hectares). Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan played a chief role in this process (28.6 % and 30.8 % respectively). In other republics of Central Asia arable land area remained constant in the above- mentioned period. A decrease of agricultural fields for hay mowing should be noted and total region decrease accounted for 0.73 million hectares (15.4 %). A considerable decrease of the hay- mowing area is registered in Tajikistan (50%) and Turkmenistan (2 times). Fewer changes occurred in arable land area used as pastures. A total decrease of pastures accounted for 14.9 million hectares (7.2 %). A more considerable decrease of pasturelands is registered in Kazakhstan (10.2 %) and in Uzbekistan(3.4%). A converse tendency is registered in Tajikistan and Turkmenistan : pastures increase by 3 % and 0.6 % respectively. Long - fallow land areas of the region increased by 0.23 million hectares (74.2 %). A considerable increase of long - fallow lands is being observed. Area of long - fallow lands increased by 0.23 million hectares, a considerable increase of fallow lands is registered in Kazakhstan (1.8 time more), in Uzbekistan (1.75 time more) in Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan. There is a reduction of long - fallow land area in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan in 1 and 8 times respectively. Over the given period irrigated land area in the republics of Central Asia increased from 8.87 million hectares to 9.42 million hectares i.e. 1.06 times more. Considerable territories of the Central Asian countries were subject to desertification and degradation of various degrees of hardness. At present these processes cover more and more territories. Due to waterless climate, desertification in Turkmenistan is a chief problem. According to data approximately 70 % of the total Turkmenistan area has become desert. Main reasons for accelerated desertification include intensive agriculture, building projects and oil and gas exploration. Desertification processes are connected with wind, water and pasture erosion and secondary salinity. At present a share of salinised irrigated areas accounts for 50% in Uzbekistan and 37 % in Turkmenistan. About the intensification of this process one can judge by the data dealing with dynamics of salinised lands in Uzbekistan. A share of salinised lands in the total area of irrigated lands in the republic increased from 38.2% to 42.8 % over the period of 1982-1995 and accounted for 50 % in 1996. For most regions of old oil fields heavy-oiled process of vast territories is typical. Regions of industrial excavations and processing of raw materials are occupied with dumps of rocks, wastes heaps, industrial wastes (radioactive tail- storages). For example the area of 8500 thousand m2 in Kyrgyzstan is occupied with industrial wastes tail- storages. Click at this picture to enlarge Composition of arable land pollution is characterised by high content of chlorine organic pesticides. In spite of the fact that some of them were forbidden to use at the end of the 80-s, their residual quantity is reducing slightly due to high persistence. Utilisation of fertilisers has reduced sharply. For the three republics of Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan) fertiliser amount reduced from 271,000 tonnes in 1993 to 61.3,000 tonnes in 1995. For soils of virgin grain field wedge it is typical to be subject to wind and water erosion, reduction of humus soil layer leading to productivity decrease and their removal from agricultural production. References: Interstate statistic committee of the CIS. M. 1996 Turkestan is our common house, 1997. Publishing house of the Adenauer fund " The Aral crisis". Tashkent, Publishing house UNDP, 1995. Sokolov V.I. Definition of boundaries of water collection basins of transbordering, local and mixed types of surface water resources in the basin of the Aral Sea and quantitative assessment. Collection of scientific works of SRC ICWC, p.35-53 Tashkent, Issue 2, 2000. [Global situation.] [Regional situation.] [State] [Pressure] [Response]