Desertification and drought

The mass wreck of the vegetative cover in a result of degradation of ground and loss of efficiency refers to as desertification. The reason of desertification are erosion, mass destruction of a vegetative cover, intensive use of bio resources and other antrapogenic and natural phenomena. The origin of desertification in Northern Africa, Mesopotomia, Iran, India, Central Asia, Aravian peninsula and Australia is antrapogenic. Among the basic natural phenomena a drought and wind erosion occupies the special place. About 750 mln (12.5 %) population of the Earth live on arid zones, and 90 mln- live in territories undergoing tostrong desertification. In Azerbaijan more than 60 % of the population live in Kura-Araks basin, where the territory mainly concerns to arid or semiarid groups.

The reasons of desertification process: 1) destruction of the vegetative cover and infringement of the soil layer as a result of activity of the industry, realization of municipal and irrigation work, 2) degradation of the soil-vegetative cover in connection with using of plants as energy sources, 3) destruction of a vegetative cover 4) reductions of fertility of ground as a result of agriculture, 5) repeated salinization of soils and increasing of natural lakes as a result of rise of a level of grunt waters on the areas of artificial watering and Caspian coast (in connection with increasing of its level).

The main factor of development of desertifiction process and degradation of soil is erosion. 42.5 % of territory of Azerbaijan, or 3672.6 thousand ha is a subject of erosion, from them 1380.9 thousand ha (37.6 %) is weak, 1146.1 thousand ha (314.3 %) is average and 1145.5 thousand hà (31.1 %) is strong eroded. Thus to erosion in this or that degree is subject 44.5 % (712 thousand ha)of cultivated grounds, 68.1 % (1500.4 thousand ha)of summer pasture, 15.2 % (15.6 thousand ha)of haymaking, 40 % (29.8 thousand ha) of long-term plantation and 26 % (270.4 thousand ha)of wood files. The reasons of eroded ground:
1. 82.1% of water erosion;
2. 10.3 % of wind erosion;
3. 7.6 % of irrigation erosion

Preliminary and rather approached accounts show, that the area is strong eroded and practically degraded grounds of agricultural fund comes nearer to 700 thousand hà and their normative cost below 1000 mln dollars. By intensive erosion is covered up to 7 % (84.4 thousand ha)of wood files, in connection with this the damage is estimated in 100 mln dollars.

Other major factor of desertification process of grounds in republic is salinization of soils. At that moment the general area of watered grounds makes 1443 thousand ha, 598,8 ha (41.5 %) from them is covered by drainage, including 324 thousand hà (22.4 %) are available closed drainage systems. On the degree of salinization non-watering ground subdivided on: non-salted-828.6 thousand ha(57.4 %), weak salted-430 thousand ha (29.9 %), average salted 124,2 thousand ha (8.6 %) and heavily salted or solonchik-59,1 thousand hà (4.1 %) . From these grounds 506 thousand ha is good meliorated, 697 thousand hà have satisfactory and 240 thousand hà bad meliorated condition. The total area of grounds, demanding of overhaul, makes 435.2 thousand ha or 30.2 %.
The intensive salted grounds have practically left from agriculture and their minimum normative cost makes 20-25 mln dollars.

At that moment, in connection with privatization of the ground areas, and forthcoming global change in region the desertification has become a more serious ecological problem of Azerbaijan . Late it is possible to attribute realizations of the projects of creation of a power corridor east - west and the restoration of great silk way and other. As a result of realization of these projects more than 1000 km2 of the fruitful ground areas will remain under designs of these projects . Accommodation of the basic part of 1 mln refugees and displaced persons from Nagorniy Karabag and Armenia in Kura-Araks semi-deserted landscape also raises the intensity of using of bioresources and can bring to increasing of degradation of territory.