Status quo and present challenges of the sustainable use and management of water and land resources in Central Asian irrigation zones - The example of the Navoi region (Uzbekistan)

摘要

Soil salinization is a major problem in many arid and agriculturally used regions and Central Asia is a prime example for this. Intensive irrigation, saline water resources, shallow groundwater tables and high evapotranspiration rates lead to the enrichment of salts in the top soils and a reduced soil productivity in the Central Asian lowlands. This is aggravated by a strong socioeconomic growth which results in an increase in the water consumption and the intensification of the farming practices (e.g. fertilizer application). This article analyses these problems for the Navoi province in Uzbekistan, a region located in the lower reaches of the Zarafshan River in the Kyzyl Kum desert. Between 2000 and 2015 detailed data on the groundwater table, groundwater salinity and the soil salinity were collected, complemented by meteorological data, soil characteristics, water use, and fertilizer statistics. Based on these datasets the ameliorate soil conditions in the Navoi irrigation zone and their temporal dynamic were assessed.