The annual rate of soil degradation in Iran is sevenfold higher than the global average while soil formation process is much slower than in other parts of the world due to its special geological formations, the head of Water and Soil Protection Department in Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, affiliated to the Agriculture Ministry, said.
“Estimates of annual global average erosion rate is 2.2 tons per hectare, while the figure has surpassed 16.5 tons per hectare in Iran,” Hamidreza Peyrovan was also quoted as saying by ILNA.
Soil overexploitation by communities and industries, and changes in climate patterns, improper and unnecessary infrastructure development, land use changes and unlawful exploitation of resources are among reasons behind the ongoing disaster, he added.
Moreover, lack of long-term policies in spatial planning, limited numbers of hydrometry stations, short-term data collection period, unreliable data and information, misunderstanding of the sediment yield processes and decision-makers’ apathy mask the severity of the problem.
Referring to solutions, the official noted that limiting unnecessary infrastructural development, controlling land use changes, stopping illogical exploitation of resources, monitoring hydrological behavior of watersheds and designating specific soil erosion measures for different agro-ecological regions can help reduce soil degradation.
Life-Support Role
According to Mostafa Fadaeifard, e chairman of the Technical Committee for Flood Evaluation and Dam Safety at the Iranian National Committee on Large Dams, the growing menace of soil erosion is more serious than water pollution, as soil plays a crucial life-support role that is often taken for granted.
“There are alternatives for water shortage or pollution, but the physical, chemical and biological decline in soil quality is an irreversible damage that is likely to jeopardize food security,” he said.
“Contaminated water can be purified in wastewater treatment plants, but as soon as soil quality declines and it diminishes the capacity to support animals and plants, nothing can be done.”
Despite the widespread use of fertilizers, the country's fertile soil is poor in terms of nutrients and its salinity is also on the rise.
The official noted that this indicates that the improper use of chemicals will not only make it unsustainable, but will also speed up soil degradation.
“Erosion, pollution and nutrient degradation are major issues affecting soil fertility. Some 16 million tons of soil are subject to erosion yearly, which is higher than the global average,” he said.
According to Fadaeifard, soil salinization is another concern rooted in outdated irrigation systems that not only waste water but also raises the level of soil salinity, which in turn reduces food production.
Soil degradation can also have disastrous effects around the country by increasing floods, pollution and desertification.
"Even if farms are irrigated with the best quality water, food products will still be unhealthy due to soil pollution that is primarily caused by the overuse of pesticides and fertilizers," he said, stressing that the fertile soil around the city of Tehran is polluted.
Carelessness on the part of authorities and noncompliance with regulations by farmers "have allowed these dangerous chemicals to end up in our food".
Peyrovan stressed that despite being the source of fertility and growth, soil preservation has been neglected for years.
