Challenges for the sustainable use of water and land resources under a changing climate and increasing salinization in the Jizzakh irrigation zone of Uzbekistan

Abstract

Jizzakh Province in Uzbekistan is one of the largest irrigated areas in Central Asia without natural drainage. In combination with aridity, climate change and extensive irrigation practices, this has led to the widespread salinization of agricultural land. The aim of this study was to identify opportunities to improve the reclamation status of the irrigated area and how best to effectively use the water resources in Jizzakh Province based on investigations conducted between 1995 and 2016. A database of field measurements of groundwater levels, mineralization and soil salinity conducted by the provincial Hydro-Geological Reclamation Expeditions was used in the study. The total groundwater mineralization was determined using a portable electric conductometer (Progress 1T) and the chloride concentration was determined using the Mohr method. The soil salinity analyses were conducted by applying two different methods: (1) the extraction and assessment of the soluble salt content, and (2) using an SM-138 conductivity sensor applied to a 1:1 mixture of soil sample and water. The analyses of the monitoring results and the salt balance in the "irrigation water-soil-drainage water" system clearly demonstrated that the condition of the irrigated land in the province was not significantly improved. Under these conditions, the stability of crop yields is achieved mainly through the use of large volumes of fertilizer. However, excess amounts of mineral fertilizers can also cause the salinization of soils. The average groundwater salinization value in most of the irrigated land (75.3%) fluctuated between 1.1 and 5.0 g/L, while the values were less than 1.0 g/L in 13.1% of the land and in the range of 5.1-10.0 g/L in 10.5% of the land. During the period of 1995-2016 the salinization level of the irrigated land in Jizzakh Province increased slightly and the area could be divided into the following classes: no salinity (17.7% of the total area), low salinity (51.3%), moderate salinity (29.0%), and high salinity (2.0%). Detailed studies of the salt balance in irrigated land, the impact of climate change, increased fertilizer use, and repeated remediation leaching on the groundwater level and mineralization should be conducted in the future, due to the possibility of accelerated salinization, fertility decline, and reduced yields of agricultural crops. Citation: Rashid KULMATOV, Jasur MIRZAEV, Jilili ABUDUWAILI, Bakhtiyor KARIMOV. 2020. Challenges for the Rashid KULMATOV et al.: Challenges for the sustainable use of water and land resources under a changing… 91 sustainable use of water and land resources under a changing climate and increasing salinization in the Jizzakh irrigation zone of Uzbekistan. Journal of Arid Land, 12(1): 90-103. https://doi.

Content Analysis of the Problems and Challenges of Agricultural Water Use: A Case Study of Lake Urmia Basin at Miandoab, Iran

“…On the other hand, inappropriate management perspectives on water abstraction, problems related to the management of unauthorized abstractions, the infrastructure, and water allocation scheduling were recognized as problems of water resources management. This is consistent with the findings of Chaudhuri and Roy (2019), Chang (2020), Pešić and Jakovljević (2020), Kulmatov et al (2020), Sahrina et al (2020), and Abd Ellah (2020), who have found that the challenges of management of unauthorized abstractions and an inefficient as well as a carefree water-using attitude and weak infrastructures have been proven to drive the risk and need to take strategic precautions. Furthermore, Haryani (2021) pointed to the challenge of simplifying the adoption of conservation and sustainable use approaches to promoting the implementation of practices in local communities.…”

Quantity and quality of groundwater resources distribution along Sirdarya province, Uzbekistan

“…In terms of reserves, Russia accounts for 20% of the global freshwater resources (excluding glaciers and groundwater). In Russia, in the 1960-80s, a large amount of groundwater was in-depth studied and its reserves amounted to 85 million tons [14,15].…”

“…In many European countries, such as Austria, Belgium, Hungary, Lithuania, Germany, Belarus, Denmark, Romania, Switzerland and the former Yugoslavia, the share of groundwater used for domestic and drinking purposes is more than 70%, while in Bulgaria, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Czechia, and Slovakia, this amount is 50-70% [14][15][16]. To pinpoint such countries among them, the groundwater monitoring network in Bulgaria includes 508 monitoring points: 106 springs, 340 deep and shallow wells, and 62 pumping stations.…”

“…Groundwater is the second largest water body in the hydrosphere after the world oceans, and their study is of great scientific and practical importance [11][12][13][14]. Groundwater is an important part of the hydrological cycle and accounts for 97% of surface freshwater [12].…”

Use of Landsat EVI in Determining the Degradation of Agroirriation Landscapes Adjacent to the Aydar-Arnasay Lakes System

“…The main reason for this is that the slope and closed river-bed basins are located in the central part of the oasis, and they head towards the lake. Such conditions effect for the accumulation of salts in the slope and AALS, as well as, increase mineralization of lake water (Kulmatov,et al, 2013;Kulmatov, et al, 2020). With the rising of lake water level, the groundwater level in the surrounding landscapes and secondary salinization in the soil will also increase (Wahyuni et al, 2009;Kulmatov, et al, 2021).…”