The document discusses salt-affected soils in the Eurasian region, with a focus on Uzbekistan. Salt-affected soils are a major problem for agriculture and food security, affecting over 40% of irrigated croplands in Central Asia. In Uzbekistan, approximately 48% of irrigated lands are salt-affected, causing annual losses of $31 million. Recent government programs aim to improve irrigation systems and rehabilitate over 1 million hectares of degraded land through measures like deep ripping, crop diversification, and afforestation. International organizations have invested over $1 billion in water and agriculture projects to address land and water management issues in Uzbekistan.

1. Eurasian Soil Partnership
The status of salt-affected soils in Eurasia with
a focus on Uzbekistan
Gulchekhra Khasankhanova, Pavel Krasilnikov, EASP

2. Eurasian Soil Partnership
EASP-country-partners:
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz
Republic, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan,
Turkey, Ukraine and Uzbekistan

3. • Soil salinity is one of the major soil degradation processes threatening ecosystem services as
identified in the FAO’Status of the World Soil Resource Report and Voluntary Guidelines for
SLM and is recognized as being among the most important problems for agricultural
production and food security in arid and semi-arid regions.
• The main threats in Europe and Central Asia were identified as the prominent ones: soil
sealing, salinisation and contamination ( FAO, 2015). Soil salinization was determined as
the most dangerous process of soil degradation in the EASP Implementation Plan 2017-
2020. Additional threats are organic carbon changes, nutrient imbalance, soil erosion, loss of
soil biodiversity and desertification, including environmental disaster of the Aral sea region.
EASP region > Soil treats and challenges

4. EASP region > Distribution of salt affected soils
Percentage cover of salt affected soils Prevailing types of soil salinity
Salt-affected soils occur in almost all countries of the Eurasian Region. The total area of salt-affected soils is estimated at
about 242 million hectares. The most affected by salinity problems are downstream states - Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and
Uzbekistan.
The GLADIS reference base of the FAO LADA confirms that the drylands of CA are most prone to suffer land degradation
and between 40 - 60 percent of irrigated croplands are salt-affected and/or waterlogged. The World Bank (2015) also
indicates that up to 69.4 percent of agricultural land in Central Asia is salt affected.

5. Eurasian Soil Partnership (EASP)
- Execution of the EaSP Implementation Plan
- Capacity building on the soil salinity management, digital soil mapping;
- Small Research Grants on soil salinity;
- Developed national SOC map under support of ISRIC and GSP SEC;
- Contributing to development of the EASP Soil Information System ;
- Assessment of SLM policy, management and monitoring of salt affected soils, and
SSM practices and technologies;
- Collaboration with global/regional initiatives, programs and projects

6.  The main recommendations of VGSSM highlighted in the
EASP RIP are being implemented;
 There has been significant progress in enhancing cooperation
and links with ESP on SSM capacity building, knowledge
management and resource diversification.
Pillar 1.
Pillar 2.
EASP Implementation Plan
 The Eurasian Soil Portal that developed as the extensive
catalogue of soil-related resources and EASP knowledge
sharing platform is working. http://eurasian-soil-portal.info
 EASP guidelines and publications:
• Handbook on Saline Soil Management has been prepared on
training workshop on innovative methods of amelioration and the
use of salt affected soils ( Kharkiv, Ukraine, 2017)
• Land Resources and Food Security in Central Asia and the Caucasus;
• Case studies Food Security in Eurasia (2016-2017);

7. EASP Implementation Plan
Armenia
The revelation of the negative
influence of salinization and
alkalization on soil fertility of
Ararat plain and improvement of
their ameliorative condition,
Belarus
Analysis of spatial and temporal
changes in agrono-mical
properties of soils under
conditions of technogenic
salinization on the territory
adjacent to the Soligorsk mining
region .
Moldova:
Solonetzs and solonetzized soils
of Republic of remediation
methods
Ukraine
Evaluation of ecosystem services
of saline soils under the
influence of reclamation
Uzbekistan
Evaluation of salt-
accumulating capacity of
halophytes in order to
develop an alternative
method of controlling soil
salinity
Pillar 3.
 Small Research Projects on soil salinity were selected and implemented in the EA region

8. EASP Implementation Plan
Country Ecosystem Technology/Intervention
Kyrgyzstan highland pastures Sustainable rangeland management, mitigation of grazing pressure
Tajikistan foothills and low mountains No-till in irrigated agriculture, intensive gardens, rangeland protection
Kazakhstan forestry and rainfed agriculture Increased utilization of ecosystem services in desert forests
Turkmenistan lowland pastures Introduction of perennial and annual grasses; pasture rotation
Uzbekistan Irrigated agriculture Advanced crop production methods: Leave mulch on fields; crop rotation,
plant forest belts around fields
 Targeted research on Economics of Land Degradation (ELD) was made in Russia, Armenia and
Belorussia under support of the Russian Science Foundation;
 5 CA countries were promoted targeted research in the frame of the ELD global initiative for SLM
C E N T R A L A S I A : S Y N T H E S I S R E P O R T
Pillar 3.

9. Pillar 4 and Pillar 5
2016-2017
• Training courses on digital soil mapping and soil information processing (Almaty, Kazakhstan, 2016)
• a 3-week training session of FAO/GSP in developing national SOC maps, Wageningen, The Netherlands 2017
• The workshop on practical issues of EurSIS (Moscow, 2017)
2017-2018
• The regional workshop “Development of expert systems based on large-scale soil geographical databases”
(Moscow, Russia, 2018)
• Training courses for partners (Azerbaijan Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, 2018)
2018
•Skype-conferences of the Pillar 4 and 5 WGs to discuss SoilSTAT Concept Note,
Country SIS_Survey, Country SIS concept note, etc. (2018)
•Harmonization of terminology, standards and protocols
•RESOLAN meeting (2-5 October, 2019) in Chisinau, Moldova
EASP Implementation Plan

10. EASP Implementation Plan
The World Bank - supported ECFS project on « Taking Stock of Human Capital in Soil Science for Central Asia and the South
Caucasus (2018)
Central Asian Countries Initiative for Land Management CACILM-2: GEF / FAO project on «Integrated natural resources
management in drought-prone and salt-affected agricultural production landscapes in Central Asia and Turkey» (2018-2021)
Central Asian Desert Initiative, etc.
Regional BMZ Programme Central Asia: Acting locally – cooperating regionally
Linkages to other relevant regional and national projects, programmes and lessons learned
Established collaboration with global and regional programmes, institutions and relevant projects
UNCCD PRAIS reporting processes and Global Mechanism
GSP and ESPP partners, FAO LADA, PLUD, and global partners (ISRIC, etc),
WOCAT International Consortium Partners
ICARDA, IFPRI, ICBA, IWMI and The Economics of Land Degradation (ELD) Initiative
Global project « Decision Support for Mainstreaming and Scaling up of SLM» (FAO/GEF DS-SLM)
PRC-GEF LD Partnership, and other potential partners at different levels.

11. National Context
Desertification, land degradation, salinization and drought, water scarcity and water contamination in time and in space is major environmental challenges,
threatening the country’s natural resources and economic development in Central Asia region. Recognized proximate causes of arable land degradation are
inappropriate land use, mainly unsustainable agricultural practices and water mismanagement.
Location:
Central Eurasia
370 и 450 N.L. and
560 и 730 EL
Total area 44.4 Mln. ha
Pasture land 21.6 mln.ha
Irrigated lands 4.3 Mln.ha
Population
34 mln people,
incl. 49 % rural
Density of
population
54.6 person/km2,
(maximum 575.4 per/km2) in
Fergana Valley
Human
development index
0.710 (2017)
EASP Implementation Plan
1997

12. Challenges
 The assessment of the extreme climate change scenarios 2050 shows that
vegetation flow in Amudarya and Syrdarya river basins could be reduced by
25-40%.
Expected losses of crop yields to 2050 by reason of deficiency of water will
make on the average 35-50 %.
 Uzbekistan is most vulnerable to climate change due to high sensitivity of its
arable lands, high density of population and growing concern about food security and
threaten rural livelihoods.
 Increase of drought periodicity and salt storms is observed in the last two decades,
it becomes more frequent during summer and autumn periods. Extreme drought
were fixed 4 times - in 2000, 2001, 2008 and 2011.
9
11
13
15
17
19
1925 1935 1945 1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005 2015
Северные Центральные и восточные Южные
°C
Change of mean annual temperature in different zones
of Uzbekistan
0
10
20
30
40
50
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Приаралье, Хорезм Окружающие пустынные территории
Число дней
- Desert zone
Change in number of hot days during summer
period
- Pre-Aral, Khorezm
Ano1320
> 40
40 - 60
60 - 80
80 - 100
100 - 120
120 - 140
>160
N
EW
S
Ant13200
-1.2
-0.8
-0.4
0.0
0.4
0.8
1.2
1.6
N
EW
S
The effects of the salt storm, (Nukus, May 2018)

13. Land degradation and Land Productivity Dynamics Trends based on LDN TSP guidance, 2018 (km2)
Map of land degradation in Uzbekistan
(GRID format – 300m resolution)
Non-irrigated lands (pasture
degradation, deforestation)
106 477 km2
Irrigated lands (salinization, erosion) 20 640 km2
TOTAL: 127 117 km2 or
28.6 % of total area
In addition, the degradation of the dried bed of the Aral Sea is
17 630 km2 or 4% of total area.
The current state of salt affected soils in Uzbekistan
Land productivity dynamics trends (2000-2013)
Analysis of land productivity dynamic trends for the period 2000-2013 shows that about 21% of all classes of land cover is
characterized by declining productivity and early signs of decline. Land productivity is stable, but under stress, it is

14. The current state of salt affected soils in Uzbekistan
• About 48% of irrigated lands is salt affected, more than 17.4% of which are classified as moderately or highly saline;
• Around 90 – 94 percent of the irrigated land in Karakalpakstan, Khorezm and Bukhara provinces is salinized.
• Annual losses of agricultural productivity are estimated to be approximately $31 million USD, and economic losses due to land abandonment
because of high salinity are estimated to be $12 million USD.
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Salt affected soil,%
RUZ
Karakalpak
Andijan
Bukhara
Djizak
Kashkadar
Navoiy
Namangan
Samarkand
Surkhandar
Syrdarya
Tashkent
Ferghana
Khorezm
Distribution of salt affected soils at sub-national levels
EASP Implementation Plan

15. Variation of crop loss due to soil salinity
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
8.00
9.00
Eastern Middle Central Southern Northen
Variations of specific crop yield loss due to soil salinity
Cotton Winter wheat Maize Vegetables
Potatoes Fruits Grapes
Annual losses of agricultural productivity in Uzbekistan are estimated to be approximately $31 million USD, and economic
losses due to land abandonment because of high salinity are estimated to be $12 million USD.

16. Recently adopted Government decrees, resolutions and programs
National SLM/SSM Policy and Strategy of Action
# National policy documents
1 “About the strategy of action in 5 priority areas of development of the Republic of Uzbekistan for 2017-2021”, UP-
4947 dated February 7, 2017. Appendix 1.
2 “About formation of the Ministry of Innovation Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan” No. УП -5264 dated
11.29.2017
3 “About organizational measures to fundamentally improve the system of state management of agriculture and
water resources” УП -5330 dated February 12, 2018 and УП -5418 dated 04/17/2018
4 The concept of agricultural development of the Uzbekistan Republic until 2030. Tashkent, March, 2018
5 The concept of development of the agricultural machinery industry for the period 2018-2021
6 The concept of cooperation of the CIS countries in the field of land melioration
7 "About measures for further reform and development of agriculture for the period 2016-2020" № ПП-2460 dated
12/29/2015
8 “About measures to improve the procurement system and the use of horticultural production, potatoes and
melons” No. PP-2520 dated April 12, 2016
9 The Program of comprehensive measures for development of irrigation, improvement of the meliorative state of
irrigated land and rational use of water resources for 2018-2019. No. PP-3405 dated 27.11.2017
10 "On additional measures to improve the activities of farms, dekhkan farms and owners of households" and “On
measures to fundamentally improve the system of protection of the rights and legitimate interests of farmers,
dekhkan farms and owners of households, efficient use of sown areas” N ПП-3680 dated 04.24.2018

17. SLM/SSM practices to mitigate and restorate of salt affected soils
Deep rippingLaser-guided land leveling
Crop diversification
Restoration of salt affected soil in marginal environment
Conservation Agriculture
Channel waterproofing with
plastic wrap
Afforestation of salt affected abandoned lands Indigo cultivation
2004
2006 2007
I&D techniques
Kochia scoparia, Glycyrrhiza
glabra
Food legumes
Climacoptera lanata
Raised-bed planting.

18. WOCAT SLM Database: country page of Uzbekistan
EASP > Collaboration with global/regional programs, initiatives and networks

19.  2007-2012. Republican Fund of Irrigated Lands Ameliorative Improvement has allocated
more than $455 mln US for ameliorative improvement of the 1,200 mln.ha of irrigated
lands;
 During the last 10 years, international financial institutions have invested about $1 Billion
US in water and agricultural sectors as a part of the State Investment Programme;
 Comprehensive Program of measures for mitigation of the consequences of the Aral Sea
disaster to restore and social and economic development of the area near Aral Sea for
2015-2018
Resource Mobilization to DLDD Response and development of Aral Sea region
 State Program on development of the area near of the Aral Sea basin for 2017-2021 to
combat desertification and management of water and land resources:
 Afforestation on 20 thousand hectares at the drained bottom of the Aral Sea (31,6 Billion Sum);
 Implementation of the Adaptation Program to climate change (64,2 Billion Sum);
 Improvement of water resources management in the Southern Karakalpakstan at the area of 100
thousand hectares (1 046,1 Billion Sum).

20. Forthcoming activities to mitigate consequences of the Aral
catastrophe
 The United Nations Multi-Partner Trust Fund for Human Security for the Aral Sea coastal
area in Uzbekistan was established on November 27, 2018;
The Aral Sea disaster coastal area is declared by President of
Uzbekistan as a zone of environmental innovations and technologies
 By the decree of the Cabinet of Ministers “About measures to accelerate the creation of
“green coverings”- protective forest plantations in the drying areas of the Aral Sea bottom”
(No. 132 dated February 15, 2019) 100 billion Sums provided for allocation in 2019 to
develop forest plantations on an area of 500 thousand hectares of the dried seabed.
Forest plantations on the dried bed
of the Aral Sea

21. • Soil salinization presents a serious challenge, treats soil health and ecosystem services, which requires collaboration to
enhance knowledge, experiences and skills sharing among countries and regions. International co-operation needed to
develop national and regional saline soil management programs and investment projects to mitigate salinity risks and
restoration of salt affected soils using innovative approaches, technologies and measures for achieving the sustainable
intensification of agriculture, be considered as a basis for food security.
• In this context, the leading role and vital efforts of the Global Soil Partnership activities to facilitate and
promote conservation, sustainable and rational use of salt affected soils, through establishing of
International Network on Salt Affected Soils to ensure knowledge exchange and scaling out of SSM
innovative methods and practices and saline agriculture technologies to mitigate risk of salinization
processes are essential and have global importance.

22. THANK YOU