World Soil Day (WSD) is held annually on 5th December as a means to focus attention on the importance of healthy soil and to advocate for the sustainable management of soil resources. The theme of this year is Halt soil salinization, boost soil productivity.

Salts are present naturally in soils and water, it may support rich ecosystems. However, soil degradation occurs when excess salt accumulates in the soil due to drought and human activity (inappropriate irrigation, urbanization, etc.). Especially in drylands, irrigation is essential for agricultural production but salinization due to improper irrigation has become serious problem, it is recognized as one of the most important problems for world food security and sustainable management of soil resources.

The most known regions where salt-induced land degradation takes place are as follows:

• Aral Sea Basin (Amu-Darya and Syr-Darya River Basins) in Central Asia
• Indo-Gangetic Basin in India
• Indus Basin in Pakistan
• Yellow River Basin in China
• Euphrates Basin in Syria and Iraq
• Murray-Darling Basin in Australia
• San Joaquin Valley in the United States

World Soil Day 2021 "Halt soil salinization, boost soil productivity" aims to raise awareness of the importance of maintaining healthy ecosystems and human well-being by encouraging societies to improve soil health through efforts to tackle soil salinization which cause soil degradation.

The International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) had also been working on the development of low-cost countermeasures against salinization in Republic of Uzbekistan located in the Aral Sea basin of Central Asia where soil salinization is remarkable. The following guidelines and technical manuals were compiled as outcome.

•    On-farm mitigation measures against salinization under high groundwater level conditions Guideline (Russian, Uzbek)
https://www.jircas.go.jp/en/publication/manual_guideline/28

•   Shallow sub‐surface drainage for mitigating salinization Technical Manual” (Japanese, English, Russian, Uzbek)
https://www.jircas.go.jp/en/publication/manual_guideline_59

In the Sustainable Land Management in Drylands Project which started in April 2021, we are focusing on Indo Gangetic basin in India where irrigation-induced salinization is sever. And we are trying to develop countermeasures against salinization by low-cost irrigation and drainage technology which farmers can work on as part of farming activities.


Contributor: ONISHI Junya (Rural Development Division)