The land of the lost soil and more – Desertification and salinization of arid soils

By: Renee FrankSoil Science 324

Importance to usAfghanistan is a hotspot of political unrest

with many of our US troops there just barely supporting the fragile government. We are attempting to help rebuild a nation torn apart by 30 years of war and in doing this we are facing some of the worst cases of soil erosion, desertification and salinization of soils due to years of improper irrigation and poor land management practices.

Without our understanding of the history of this proud land, we will not be able to effectively communicate the technologies of the Western world in a way that allows them to hold on to their traditions.

Photo by Maria Amiri (taken in 2007)

My objectives from this ppt Inform the audience about the turbulent and violent history

of land that is used to ruling itself.

Inform the audience of the current environmental and political situation in Afghanistan.

Inform the audience what agricultural practices have been used in the past, both good and bad, and to show how we could incorporate Western knowledge to enhance their quality of life.

I have used many photos depicting everyday life and will explain the images during the demonstration.

Photo by Maria Amiri (taken in 2007)

My results and their implications Afghanistan teeters on the brink of complete and utter anarchy. I

am confident that with the education of local farmers and financial incentives to grow healthy crops which are larger than the payoffs to grow opium, this country will lean back towards stability.

I realize this ppt is not as inclusive as I would like due to the difficulty of obtaining current data. I also had difficulty copying some graphs and chose not to use them and instead will talk about them during the demonstration.

Shewaki / Afghanistan, May 1992 - Gul Rahman starting a new vegetable garden near his house. Photo: Rob Huibers

Brief Political History of AfghanistanLocated along the silk route.Many tried to conquer and control but no one

ever held Afghanistan for long.Tribal and feudal nations separated by

mountains so the idea of an “Afghan Nation” didn’t really happen unless there was an impending war.1206 – 1227 Ghengiz Kahn tried1360-1405 Tamerlane triedAlexander the Great triedThe British tried in the 1800’sThe Russian tried in 1979

Current Political Situation in AfghanistanFarmers in the last 10 years have been

struggling to make ends meet due to an extended period of drought in the 1990’s and a whole generation that has known nothing but war. Education and infrastructure were the first things to be destroyed but are now slowly being built back.

Current Political Situation in AfghanistanBIG CHALLENGE – get farmers to plant

crops that will feed them instead of opium poppies. Opium poppies love the climate and soil of Afghanistan and bring in a lot of money from the illegal opium trade.

Future hopes for AfghanistanTo rebuild the infrastructure to allow farmers

to once again be sustainable.To provide education to millions that have

gone without for over 25 years.To enjoy traditional lifestyles without the

constant threat of landmines or the Taliban coming back.

Demographics in Afghanistan (2007 est.)Third-world countryMedian age:

Total population – 17.6 yearsLife expectancy:

Male – 43.6 yearsFemale – 43.96 years

Total fertility rate:6.64 children/woman

Infant mortality rate:157.43 deaths/1,000 live births

Literacy rate: Total population – 28.1%Male – 43.1%Female – 12.6%

Topography and Geography of Afghanistan

Topography and Geography of AfghanistanLand of regions:

Mostly mountainousSome low-lying and extremely fertileSome rich in Lapis Lazuli (semi-precious blue

stone)Many rivers from snow melt and springs

Flora and fauna native to Afghanistan

Typical of temperate climates. Not a large variety of either flora or fauna and few threatened or endangered species.

Soil types found in AfghanistanMany clay based soilsSouthwestern plateau has very sandy, desert

soilsSome areas very rocky with little to no topsoilCentral highlands have desert-steppe, highly

erodible soilsNorthern plains have extremely rich and

fertile soils

Agricultural challenges to AfghanistanOnly 12% of the land is arableVery mountainous

Agricultural challenges to AfghanistanDry throughout much of the landLots of water but not readily available across

the country

Agricultural challengesto AfghanistanPoor to non-existent infrastructure

Agricultural Crops Grown in AfghanistanWalnuts, pistachio, almonds, pine nuts,

hazelnut

Agricultural Crops Grown in AfghanistanCorn, wheat, oats, rice, cotton

Agricultural Crops Grown in AfghanistanMelons, pomegranate, grapes, apricots,

pears, fig, citrus fruit

Agricultural Crops Grownin AfghanistanVarious livestock animals well suited to life in

the mountains such as goats, sheep, yaks in the north and cows for milk in other places, along with donkeys and camels.

Hides, milk and meat from these animals help sustain their lives

Irrigation in AfghanistanPractices prior to 1970(or so, used for

thousands of years):Mostly terraces with irrigation cannels dug into

the hillside

Irrigation in AfghanistanPractices prior to 1970(or so):

Small villages developed extensive systems for controlling water, usually located near where the groundwater table is close to the ground.

Irrigation in AfghanistanPractices prior to 1970(or so):

Sometimes tunnels were built to carry water to needed areas. If Afghans can get the water to the land, it is often fertile. Note the large pile of hay off to the right of the photo and the size of the building.

Irrigation in AfghanistanPractices from approximately 1970-1980:

Growing potatoes in the Bamiyan Region in north-west central region of Afghanistan

Irrigation in AfghanistanPractices from approximately 1970-1980:

Long channel cut sometime in the past but still being used to irrigate fields

Irrigation in AfghanistanPractices from approximately 1980 to 1996:

Many of the drainage ditches that had been dug thousands of years ago were in some working condition but farmers have to be careful of mines laid down to stop the Russian invasion. Much of what had been installed prior to the Russian invasion was left to rust in the fields or melted down for parts. This was a time of much oppression that only got worse.

Irrigation in AfghanistanPractices from approximately 1995-2001:

Some ditches were re-dug from the 1970’s (note the one to the right of the men walking

Irrigation in Afghanistan

Practices from approximately 2001-today:People continue to use existing channels but are

rebuilding metal/plastic irrigation systems since previous ones either rusted or were scavenged.

Much land still needs to be cleared of land mines in fertile zones due to the heavy mining of those areas during the past 30 years.

Farmers need to be educated in how to read and implement modern day agricultural techniques that are suited to their environment in order to minimize contamination of fragile soils.

Irrigation in AfghanistanPractices from approximately 2001-today:

Dr. Michael Gangwer demonstrates how to properly connect and use the Watermark Soil Moisture Sensor to the Kapisa Province agriculture minister at the provincial governor's compound Oct. 12. The sensors are being used for the first time in Afghanistan and will greatly aid the Afghan agriculture community in determining when and where to irrigate their crop fields. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Joseph Kapinos)

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123029019

http://www.afghansite.com/afghanistan/photos.asp?cat=Kabul-April-2003

Desertification of Soils

Definition:Extension or intensification of desert

conditions (United Nations, 1977)Ecological changes that reduce the ability of

land to sustain agriculture and human habitation (Eckholm and Brown, 1977)

Impoverishment of terrestrial ecosystems from human activities (Dregne, 1983)

Desertification of SoilsCauses:

Removal of vegetation for firewood or to feed animals, poor cropping and irrigation practices, leaving soil bare to the harsh winds of Afghanistan. Note the clear-cut areas on the hillsides.

Desertification of SoilsSolutions:

Rotational grazingControlled wood cutting with emphasis on

replantingCrop rotationsPicking crops that are appropriate to climateErosion control measuresWater conservation

http://www.afghansite.com/afghanistan/photos.asp?cat=Kabul-April-2003

Salinization of SoilsDefinition:

Precipitation onto soil with water that has possibly high salt contents.

The water evaporates leaving the salt behind which contaminates the soil for further agricultural uses.

Salinization of SoilsCauses:

Most of the soils affected by the many years of irrigation using groundwater that is high in salts which are found in the Helmand River basin.

Salinization of SoilsSolutions:

Take out the soil that is full of salt but this is difficult due to the large amount of land mines in Afghanistan.

To remove land mines you need special equipment and trained personal.

Conclusions I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of

information available. Most of it was less than 10 years old, and some was only a couple of years old. I was challenged to find photos to fit the information. I tried to keep my slides from getting text heavy and leave the talking for later.

I am pleased to see so many scientists are recognizing the problems facing Afghanistan and are brainstorming ideas on how to help them recover and once again be at least self-sustaining. Doing this research has strengthened my resolve to get over their in the next five years and do some sort of educational outreach.

Rodrigo Abd / AP

Afghan workers wait for tourists to rent small boats early morning in Band-i-Mir lake, one of the tourist attractions of the Bamiyan Valley region, in Bamiyan, 80 miles northwest of Kabul, Afghanistan.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21197213/

Currently, there is a proposal from the World Bank to spend $25 million Islamic Republic of Afghanistan for an emergency irrigation rehabilitation project. Hopefully this will go a long ways towards rebuilding their agrarian-based society and move them away from opium production.

References: Background references:

Notes from class on desertification and salinization of soils www.culturalorientation.net CIA World Factbook NATIONAL REPORT OF ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF AFGHANISTAN ON THE

IMPLEMENTATION OF UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION TO COMBAT DESERTIFICATION (UNCCD), MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION, KABUL, AFGHANISTAN, July 2006

El-Beltagy, A. 1997. West Asia and North Africa: A Regional Vision. ICARDA-023/400. PP.1-20, FAO. 1995. FAO STAT. PC. FAO, Rome, Italy.

World Bank, report number 38944-AF, project proposal for emergency irrigation rehabilitation projects, March 2007.

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123029019 Afghanistan." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica

Online. 26  Nov.  2007  <http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-21417>. Photo references:

cyberschoolbus.un.org/infonation/index.asp?id=4 www.afghan-web.com http://avalon.unomaha.edu/afghan/afghanistan/A6.HTM