Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Virtual Global Symposium on Salt-affected Soils (GSAS21) “Halt soil salinization, boost soil productivity” has taken place, UzA reported.
The science-policy meeting was organized by FAO’s Global Soil Partnership (GSP), the Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS), together with the Science Policy Interface of United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (SPI-UNCCD), the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS), the International Center on Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA), the International Network of Salt-Affected Soils (INSAS), and the Global Framework on Water Scarcity in Agriculture (WASAG).
The main objectives of the Symposium were to share knowledge on salinity prevention, management, and adaptation and to establish critical connections between science, practice, and policy by facilitating discussion among policymakers, food producers, scientists, and practitioners for sustainable management of salt-affected soils.
Within the framework of the event, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has launched the Global Map of Salt-Affected Soils, a key tool for halting salinization and boosting productivity. The map estimates that there are more than 833 million hectares of salt-affected soils around the globe (8.7% of the planet). Most of them can be found in naturally arid or semi-arid environments in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
The map, a joint project involving 118 countries and hundreds of data-crunchers, allows experts to identify where sustainable soil management practices should be adopted to prevent salinization and sodification and to manage salt-affected soils sustainably. The map can inform policymakers when dealing with climate change adaptation and irrigation projects.