Issues and Constraints
Conditions for crop production in Central Asia have deteriorated considerably, resulting in significant areas of irrigated land being affected by high levels of salinity and rising water tables. This has led to crop yield losses exceeding 30%. In Central Asia, 47.5% of the irrigated land is affected by salinization, ranging from 95.9% in Turkmenistan to 11.5% in Kyrgyzstan. It is estimated that in the Central Asian Republics 289,000 hectares are affected by medium to high salinity levels. Declining agronomic productivity associated with salinization and elevated water tables have contributed to the development of endemic poverty in rural agrarian based communities in the region. These poor communities have to grapple with reduced incomes and livelihood insecurity.
