The Inter-Relationship Between Irrigation, Drainage and the Environment in the Aral Sea Basin / Edition 1

by M.G. Bos

Overview

The irrigated area in the Aral Sea basin totals about 7. 5 million hectare. Part of the water supplied to this area is consumed by the irrigated crop; the remainder of the supplied water drains to the groundwater basin, to downstream depressions, or back to the rivers. During its use, however, this drained part of the water accumulates salts and chemicals. The disposal of this polluted water causes a variety of (environmental) problems. If the percentage consumed water of the total water supply to an irrigated area (the so-called overall consumed ratio) can be increased, less water needs to be drained. This alleviates part of the related (environmental) problems. Further, if the overall consumed ratio for the above 7. 5 million hectare is improved, less water needs to be diverted from the rivers. Hence, more water can flow towards the Aral Sea. As mentioned above, part of the non-consumed irrigation water drains to the groundwater basin. Commonly, the natural discharge capacity of this basin is insufficient to handle this imported water. As a result, the groundwater table rises towards the land surface causing waterlogging. In (semi-)arid zones this waterlogging triggers a soil salinity problem resulting to a significant reduction in crop yields. The artificial increase of the discharge capacity, and lowering of the groundwater table, solves the soil salinity problem.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780792342588
Publisher:	Springer Netherlands
Publication date:	09/30/1996
Series:	NATO Science Partnership Subseries: 2 , #22
Edition description:	1996
Pages:	242
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.24(d)

Table of Contents

Conclusions and Recommendations.- The Interrelationship between Irrigation, Drainage and the Environment.- Environmental Benefits of Reducing Collector-Drain Runoff and Ways to Improve Irrigation Water Quality in the Rivers of the Aral Sea Basin.- Planning for Drainage Development in the Aral Sea Basin.- Impressions and Findings of a Study Tour to Karakalpakia in Central Asia.- Drainage Development in the Arid Zones of Central Asia.- Choice of Envelope Materials for the Rehabilitation of the Drainage Network in Uzbekistan.- The Construction and Effectiveness of Combined Drainage Systems.- The Contribution of Horizontal Subsurface Drainage to Solving the Aral Sea Economic and Environmental Problem.- Flow through Wetlands for Controlling Water Quality in Discharges from Irrigated Areas.- Comparing Surface and Subsurface Drainage in Rice Irrigation Systems of Kazakhstan.- Environmental and Economic Benefit of Subsurface Horizontal Drainage Construction.- Improving Drainage Water Quality by Constructing Wetland Ecosystems in the Catchment Area of the Amu Darya, Aral Sea Region.- Irrigation Systems, Water Use Efficiency and Environmental Impacts.- Measures to Increase the Efficiency of Irrigated Lands in Kyrghyzstan.- The Use of Decision Support Systems in Water Management.- Conjunctive Water Management for the Aral Sea Basin.- Drainage Problems and Solutions in the San Joaquin Valley of California, U.S.A..- The Use of Specific Environmental Publications for Local Capacity Building for Irrigation and Drainage Projects within the Aral Sea Basin.- Irrigation and the Environment of the Aral Sea Basin; an Annotated Bibliography.

Editorial Reviews

Several of the 18 papers describe the problem in the Aral Sea basin: runoff from agricultural irrigation, laden with salt and chemicals, drains into the groundwater, downstream depressions, or back into rivers, causing a number of environmental problems. Others consider technical solutions, the most attractive of which is to reduce the water used for irrigation to reduce or eliminate the runoff. Among the contributions are also impressions and findings of a study tour in Central Asia, suggestions for using decision support systems in water management, and similar problems and their solutions from the San Joaquin Valley in California. A thorough set of both general and specific recommendations, and an annotated bibliography are included, but no index. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

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