According to the latest global assessment by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), there has been a significant increase in the percentage of land affected by salt, now covering nearly 1.4 billion hectares worldwide, which represents more than 10 percent of the Earth’s total surface area. These findings were presented at the International Forum on Land and Water 2024 in Bangkok, where leaders from around the world gathered to discuss issues of soil degradation and water supply.
Salinized land, or soil that contains a high level of soluble salts, is becoming an increasing global problem. These salts, including sodium, magnesium, and calcium, accumulate in the soil to levels that hinder plant growth and reduce soil fertility. In its report, “Global Status of Salinized Land,” the FAO notes that this is the first such comprehensive study in the last fifty years that examines the extent and impact of soil salinity in detail.
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The problem of soil salinity is particularly pronounced in ten countries, including Afghanistan, Australia, Argentina, China, Kazakhstan, Russia, the United States, Iran, Sudan, and Uzbekistan, which together account for 70 percent of the globally affected land. Salinity is estimated to already affect 10.7 percent of all arable land, which includes both irrigated and rain-fed crops.
The drivers of this problem are numerous and include natural processes exacerbated by human activities such as inadequate drainage and excessive use of fertilizers, as well as climate changes that contribute to rising sea levels. As sea levels rise, saline seawater infiltrates river streams and groundwater flows, thereby increasing the salt concentration in the soil adjacent to seas and oceans.
Insight into the seriousness of the situation has led the FAO to propose a series of strategies for sustainable management of salinized areas and to organize global action aimed at stopping the destruction of land.
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