DEGRADATION PROBLEMS OF SOIL COVERING ON THE TERRITORY
OF KAZAKHSTAN AND METHODS OF THEIR DECISION
Kabdullina A.B., Tsaregorodtseva A.G.
S.Torayghyrov Pavlodar State University Pavlodar c., Kazakhstan
Asem_k_pvl@mail.ru, tsaregorodtseva-@mail.ru
By volume of land resources the Republic of Kazakhstan takes the ninth place in the
world, but in per capita it is one of the first. Total area of the territory of Kazakhstan is 272.5
million hectares. 222.6 million hectares are currently used in the agricultural turnover, of
which 188.0 million hectares are hayfields and pastures, 33.7 million hectares are arable land,
1.8 million hectares are perennial plants. Prolonged and intensive use of land without deep
scientifically grounded farming systems, technologies, without assessment of agro-ecological
potential of the area has led to a significant decrease in soil fertility. The main factors
decreasing soil fertility are natural erosion processes affecting the degradation of landscapes.
In the first place, it is wind erosion: strong winds blow the upper layer of fertile soil. It is also
the water erosion, which is connected with a sharp continental climate that promotes deep soil
freezing and rapid snowmelt, torrential nature of summer precipitation. The abovementioned
factors create favorable conditions for the formation of intense runoff on flanks of low slope.
According to the Agency of Land Resources (2010) the area of land affected by water erosion
is 1 030.0 thousand ha. The area of land affected by wind erosion is 594.6 thousand ha. The
largest share of eroded farmland in the country is indicated in Atyrau, Almaty, Zhambyl and
South Kazakhstan regions [1].
The arable land comprises 1.6 million hectares of the 33.7 million hectares of eroded
farmland, in which 1.3 million ha (80.8%) are primarily slightly eroded soils requiring simple
anti-erosion measures. The arable land includes moderately eroded soils that are 303.1
thousand ha (17.8%), which require conducting intensive anti-deflationary and anti-erosion
land reclamation. Severely eroded soils composes 13.3 thousand ha (0.8%) of arable land, of
which 10.0 thousand ha are in Akmola region. These soils are in need of complex anti-erosion
measures, therefore it is advisable to withdraw them from the arable land, followed by
planting perennial herbs.
Nowadays we can identify the following areas with extremely degraded soils. This is
northern Kazakhstan, where the soils are depleted. Over half a century of development of
virgin lands 1.4 billion tons of humus were lost, which is 1/3 of the original stock. The main
part of the humus is on yield formation and its arrival with annual cereal crops is negligible,
the balance of humus in the soil is disturbed. Along with this arable land is losing humus up
to 57% by means of erosion. The area of eroded soils of northern Kazakhstan is 19.1 million
ha.
Western Kazakhstan, where petrochemical pollution is widespread due to human
impact. Within this area there are more than 90% of proven and potential hydrocarbon
resources. The soil cover is heavily damaged and contaminated with chemicals, crude oil, oil
refineries wastes. Thus, the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources of Kazakhstan
(MEWRK) notes the high soil pollution with oil and oil products on the area of more than 1.5
million ha. A large proportion of soil pollution and the environment fall on Atyrau region 59%, on Aktobe region - 19%, West - Kazakhstan region - 13% and Mangistau region - 9%
[2].
Critical ecological state of soils are also found in the area of the Aral Sea region, the
land area of which is 59.6 million hectares This is a zone of intense desertification,
salinization and soil deflation. Desertification and soil degradation processes have covered the
vast areas of the Aral Sea basin. Desiccation of the Aral Sea is a large-scale example of the
manifestations of wind erosion, contamination, reducing the biological potential. Besides, the
drained sea bottom was the biggest hotbed of planetary salt-dust-translocation. Salt and dust
flows arising in the region, according to space surveys, extended to 150 - 300 km, a maximum
of 500 km. The area of the dust spread and deposition is about 25 million ha.
In areas of the mining industry happen intense, often in very large scale,
transformation of the natural environment, causing some damage to it. In present open pit
mining takes the leading place in the world production of minerals. Their density is 34% of
coal and 97% of building materials.
Being left developed quarry fields often are centers of erosion processes, and then land
adjacent to the quarry is damaged. Soil cover located near processing plants and factories is
exposed to erosion processes due to emissions of heavy metals and other pollutants into the
atmosphere. They settle on the ground, detrimentally impact on the vegetation cover and
expose valuable black soil to erosion processes.
According to the Agency of Land Resources (2011) on the qualitative characteristics
of the land, the total area of damaged lands in the Republic is 184 693.0 ha, 51 912.5 ha are
worked out, 923.5 ha od damaged lands are reclaimed. The greatest number of damaged land
is in Karaganda, Kostanai, Mangistau, Akmola, Pavlodar and East-Kazakhstan regions
It should be noted that one of the important factors of soil contamination are
production and enterprises wastes. According to the MEWRK, over 21 billion tons of them
are accumulated in the country, including 5.2 billion tons of toxic waste, where about 4 billion
tons are mining production rock falls, 1.1 billion tons – rock refuse and 105 million tons –
metallurgical industry waste .
Thus, now the condition of the soil cover of Kazakhstan requires urgent action both
for security of our country and for maintaining a healthy population of the country as a whole.
As a result, we can distinguish four main factors of soil degradation:
1. natural erosion processes;
2. the extensive development of agricultural production;
3. intensive development of the resource-extracting industry;
4. the wide network of former (in the period of the USSR) military test ranges.
To solve the problems of soil degradation and preserve them in each individual region
we need a special scientifically grounded approach, taking into account climatic conditions
and knowledge of the laws of nature. The scientists of the Institute of Soil Science and
Agrochemistry after U.U. Uspanov have been conducting research on man-caused damaged
lands and their restoration for more than 40 years
The Institute has large developments on land reclamation of ore deposits in EKR. The
Institute scientists in collaboration with scientists from the Institute of Combustion Problems,
Altai botanical garden and the scientists of the Institute of Soil Science and Agrochemistry SB
RAS conducted complex research work on the restoration of man-caused damaged lands at
phosphorus deposits "Zhanatas" and at degraded and damaged lands under the influence of
zinc emissions plant in Ridder (EKR) [3].
However, in general, today, in the Republic of Kazakhstan almost few are involved
in reclamation work at damaged, contaminated land. Contradictory data on areas of damaged
lands indicate the absence of accurate accounting of land subjected to damage in the Land
Resources department. Last time scientifically-grounded reclamation work were carried out in
the mid 80s of last century, when there was a law passed by the Government of the USSR to
restore damaged land. Ministry of mine industry and nonferrous metallurgy obliged the
deposits developers to mandatory lead reconstruction work on waste sites. Besides, that also
involved the scientists who developed scientifically-grounded technologies for land
reclamation.
Based on the above, we can note the need for improvement of legislation on the use of
the national economy of land resources, activities for the organization and implementation of
mine technical and biological reclamation.
Literature
1. V.V. Krygin Newspaper "KazahZerno.kz"
2. Akhanov ZH.U., Dzhalankuzov TD, SD Abdyhalykov Main research fields of the
Institute of Soil Science, MES RK for the next decade // Problems of genesis, fertility,
irrigation, soil ecology, assessment of land resources. Almaty. Tethys. 2002. S.5-7.
3. Karazhan KD, Akhanov ZH.U., Asanbaev IK Faizov K.Sh. Environmental issues in
Kazakhstan // Status and sustainable use of soils of Kazakhstan. Proceedings of the scientific.
Conf. Almaty. Tetis.1998. p.14-18.