FAO Unveils First Major Global Assessment Of Salt-Affected Soils In Half A Century

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has published its first comprehensive global review of salt-affected soils in five decades. The report highlights that over 10% of the world's land is impacted by excessive salinisation, exacerbated by climate change and poor management practices. This issue is particularly severe in ten countries, including Afghanistan, Australia, and China, which together account for 70% of these affected soils.

Nearly 1.4 billion hectares of land are already suffering from salinity, with another billion hectares at risk due to ongoing climate challenges and human activities. In regions most impacted by salinity stress, crop yields can drop significantly, with losses reaching up to 70% for staples like rice and beans. This poses a serious threat to food security in these areas.

Salinity affects about 10% of both irrigated and rainfed cropland worldwide. However, the extent of this impact remains uncertain due to limited data availability. Current models suggest that if temperature trends continue, the area affected could expand to cover between 24% and 32% of the global land surface.

Rising sea levels are expected to threaten over a billion people living in coastal regions with increased flooding and salinisation by the century's end. Additionally, global warming contributes to this problem through permafrost thawing, further increasing soil salinity.

The report also points out that freshwater usage has surged sixfold over the past century. This increase is largely due to the overexploitation of aquifers for irrigation, leading to groundwater salinisation. Such practices have intensified the challenge of managing salt-affected soils globally.

The FAO's findings underscore the urgent need for improved management strategies to combat soil salinisation. Addressing this issue is crucial for maintaining agricultural productivity and ensuring food security in vulnerable regions around the world.

With inputs from WAM