Abstract
Ädverse amelioration condition of irrigated lands is an increasing problem to maintain sustainable
agricultural production. Conventional methodology in land reclamation
condition (LR) assessment is based on qualitative analysis of information from: (i) network of
piezometer wells (e.g., groundwater table and salinity) and (ii) sampling sites (e.g. soil
salinity). This method has certain disadvantages in terms of the time, approach and cost required
for objective assessment and interpretation of LR condition. Moreover, the LR condition is affected
by variable environmental conditions and management factors such as soil texture, fertility, water
availability, drainage density and so on, among others. How can the available data from different
organizations be integrated? What are the relationships amongst the factors? These are major issues
which are not easily resolved. It is, however, only through an integrated, multi-level, approach
that both the land and water management and the existing interactions amongst the individual
components of the landscape can be evaluated. Therefore, it is often advantageous to aggregate
several indicators into an index allowing different factors to be taken into account simultaneously
in order to monitor the state of the environment. In response to these problems, main goal of this
study is to explore and review existing assessment methods used in Uzbekistan to assess and map
land reclamation condition and find out environmentally sensitive areas, on which further land
improvement measures can be taken. The soil (texture), land condition (groundwater table) and water
availability (distance to the irrigation systems) have found as main factors effecting on LR
condition throughout the study region. The simplicity of approach with available data allows to
identify, combine and understand the influencing factors on LR condition for better management of
the land and its resources.
"
Users
Please
log in to take part in the discussion (add own reviews or comments).