Impact of Climate Change on Irrigated Agriculture in steppe Zones of Uzbekistan

Abstract

The study has been conducted in the newly developed by lift irrigation areas of Karshi steppe (Uzbekistan). The research questions included an assessment of the climate change impact on agricultural production. The studies allowed to examine main factors affecting the behavior of agricultural producers in the face of climate change, as well as their current practices and skills for adapting to the effects of climate change. As research results show, the impact of climate change on irrigated agriculture in the study areas has become especially tangible over the last decade. In this regard, situations arise with crop losses and reduced quality of agricultural products. According to research outcomes the agricultural producers have general information and general knowledge about climate change and its impact on agriculture. The most important consequences caused by the climate change impact on irrigated agricultural production include - increasing in water scarcity, growing in numbers of agricultural pests and plant diseases, declining in crop yields, instability and unpleasant weather surprises, the need to spend more labor and resources to get a satisfactory crop yield, salinization of land and water resources contamination, increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as droughts and frosts, and others.