Chapter 2: State of the Environment and Policy Response
Case study Box 2.2.1: Land degradation and desertification in Iraq
In Iraq 97 per cent of its total area is arid, about 50 per cent of which is desert. Desertification affects 39 per cent of the country’s surface area with an additional 54 per cent under threat. Arable land degradation is ongoing, caused by various factors including mismanagement, climate change and water scarcity, and has accelerated the rise of soil salinity, increased the rate of soil erosion and converted wetland to dryland.
It is estimated that Iraq loses around 250 square kilometers of arable land annually. Although Iraq has the largest area of available farmland in the region, it suffers the most from soil salinity and wind erosion. In Mesopotamia, where the majority of the fertile land exists, the near-surface water table associated with a very high evaporation rate has created ideal conditions for soil salinization.
Source: FAO 2011
Case study Box 2.2.2: Rangeland in Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Syria
Rangeland in Jordan covers more than 80 per cent of the country’s total area, mainly used for pastoralism and agriculture. It is mostly under tribal rights, which have created land-use conflict and mismanagement leading to overgrazing, land degradation and ultimately desertification. Human impacts through livestock overgrazing are, possibly, the main cause of the land’s deterioration, to such a degree that it is no longer able to support the livestock that used to graze there. Practising rain-fed agriculture in semi-arid rangeland has a different land degradation effect, causing soil erosion and dust-storm formation during drought seasons.
A similar situation exists in Saudi Arabia, where rangelands are estimated at 146 million hectares, most of which receives rainfall of less than 100 millimetres per year. About 33 per cent of rangelands are in average condition with dry matter productivity of 88 kilograms per hectare per year, whereas 28 per cent are in poor condition with dry matter productivity of 35 kilograms per hectare per year. Overgrazing and woodcutting continue to be major pressures on these resources despite regulations. It is perceived that better transport, increased access to water points and subsidies given to shepherds and herd owners in Saudi Arabia were the main reasons for rising pressure on rangelands, which in turn led to their degradation by heavy grazing.
In Syria, 10 million hectares of rangelands, officially known as the Badia, represent 55 per cent of the Country’s land area. Rangelands are found in the central and eastern provinces of Syria. Within this area, 8–12 million animals, predominantly sheep, are freely grazed by Bedouin communities. The area’s contribution to sheep feed requirements in the year 2000 had fallen by more than 50 per cent compared to 1993. The situation is unlikely to have improved since the onset of conflict in the country.
Source: Jordan Ministry of Agriculture 2014; AOAD 2015; IFAD 2012 53
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