The land which was the birth place of so many conquerors and warlords in the medieval world, is now a demure agrarian economy and is finding it hard even to continue with the traditional farming practices. Large tracts of arable lands are now covered with salt and they are almost uncultivable.
The problem lies in faulty farming practices. As cotton is a very important cash crop and Uzbekistan is suitable for its cultivation, it has been getting all the attention from the authority right from the USSR days. Rivers were diverted to help cotton farmers and thus made Aral Sea, the largest saltwater lake to lose half of its surface area. And now, due to rampant corruption and poor planning, even the irrigation system has fallen flat! It also has to be noted that water is a scarce resource in the region and after the disintegration of the USSR the natural sources were also divided among several countries thus worsening the problem. Look at the map given above to understand its difficult geography.
In fact, some old practices can become very dangerous. Jhoom cultivation is such an example closer home in India. What they essentially do is to set fire to a section of the forest to open it up for cultivation. After some years when the land loses fertility they abandon the land and clear some new forests. Thankfully, the government has taken strict steps to stop this practice now.
People need to be educated about these facets of their practices. Several ways are there to preserve the fertility of the soil. Diverting the natural courses of rivers is definitely not one of them! Alternative crop cycles and proper irrigation are necessary especially in a land locked and water scarce country. It seems the government itself is obsessed by cotton and the irrigation system has degraded meanwhile. So this is the time to take some brave steps and think beyond the usual choices. I think with proper planning and execution they can still save whatever is remaining.
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Source: nytimes