Salinization of Azerbaijani lands raises concerns
By Sara Rajabova
Soil salinization has accelerated in Azerbaijan considerably over the past few years.
The salinization process creates major difficulties for Azerbaijan and hinders the development of agriculture, like in many other countries which faced the same problem.
Chairman of the State Committee for Land and Cartography Garib Mammadov recently said that 40 percent of the lands in Azerbaijan are subject to salinization.
The salinization of lands is mostly observed in the Kur-Araz lowland, with about 30 percent of the 2.3 million hectares of soil in this area affected by salinity, Mammadov said.
Also, the lands in the Kura River valley, the Mil-Mugan plains, including the Karabakh plain, and the territory of Barda region are affected by salinization.
Salinization is a process of water-soluble salts' accumulating in the soil. Salinization is a concern because excess salt hinders the growth of crops by limiting their ability to take up water. Salinization may occur naturally or because of conditions resulting from human activity.
According to expert Vahid Maharramov, land degradation and salinization are related to a failure to use soil properly.
He said mineral fertilizers in the soil are less than needed and make up 3-4 percent of demand, besides, the restoration works are not carried out in the grazing areas of the mountainous and highland regions.
In recent years, the number of livestock heads has increased several times, which has led to depletion of the plant cover in those areas, Maharramov said.
He noted that failure of the drainage collector systems is another factor causing salinization. During the floods groundwater comes to the top layer of the soil and after the vaporization of water salt remains in the upper part of the soil, which causes salinization, Maharramov said.
According to the expert, villagers don't have enough information about the proper use of soil, which exacerbates the problem.
Maharramov warned that a large part of the country's cultivable soils can be affected by salinity in the future if decisive measures are not taken to counter this problem.
According to him, the only way to solve the problem is to allocate additional funds to this field and direct them to buying new technologies. Besides, the methods used should be upgraded while applying the new technologies.
Desalinization is a process that takes a lot of time and requires considerable funds. According to estimates, in order to desalinate one hectare of land, 25 years and $1 million worth of funds are necessary. Therefore, it is crucial to take resolute measures to prevent the salinization of soil.