Table Natural and anthropogenic reasons of desertification in Kazakhstan

Natural reasons	Anthropogenic causes
- climatic aridity	- over-pasture
- unevenly distributed precipitation	- salinization of soil
- scarce water supply	- regulation of river outlets
- high solar radiation	- fertilizers and pesticides use
- low humidity of air and soil	- intensive exploitation of mineral resources (mining)
- excess evaporation	- construction of roads
- sand areas and saline lands	- construction of oil and gas pipelines
- weak and unstable soil-vegetation	- weapon tests
- wind and water erosion	-

Erosion – an important natural process, resulting in the redistribution of the products of geologic weathering, and is part of both soil formation and soil loss.

Widespread topsoil erosion results to reduction in crop production equivalent to removing about 1% of world cropland each year.

The main reasons of soil loss, including reduction of its fertility (including both abiotic and anthropogenic origin) are: wind and water erosion

Contour plowing – plowing along hill contours; reduces erosion.

5. Water problems in Kazakhstan

The main reason of the Aral Sea catastrophe is: careless use of water for irrigation

Some data about the Aral sea changes (from 1960s to 1990s -2000s):

- The salt concentration of the Aral sea water increased to 3–5 times.

- The surface area of the Aral sea decreased to 50 -75%

- The water level of the Aral sea fell to 16-18 meters.

Four major hydrologic regions can be distinguished in Kazakhstan, depending on the final destination of water: the Arctic Ocean through the Ob River, the Caspian Sea, the Aral Sea and internal lakes, depressions, or deserts

During last years water problems connected basically with surface waters resources decrease were considerably aggravated in Kazakhstan.

The main reason – decrease of discharge from neighboring states of transboundary rivers of Irtysh, Ile, Syrdarya, Ishim, Tobol, Ural, Talas, Shu

Дата добавления: 2015-10-02