Land degradation factors in arid irrigated areas: the case of Wafra in Kuwait

Abstract

A large area in Wafra, south of Kuwait, was developed for crop production both in open fields and agriculture units. For more than a decade, farmers had been using groundwater and desalinated water for irrigating crops under both conditions. The study area occupied about 125 000 ha lying within the northwestern sandbelt. Land-use pattern, soil characteristics and vegetation attributes were studied to assess the extent of land degradation in the area. Land-use classes in the developed area showed a total area of about 9371 ha. About 35 per cent of this area was uncultivated due to sand encroachment and soil salinity build-up problems. Soil chemical and physical properties were described and determined at various depths in representative profiles. The soil belonged to the three categories: Typic Torripsamments, Typic Haplocalcids and Typic Aquisalids. The total vegetative cover was poor, covering about 18 per cent of the marginal areas and about 33 per cent of arable lands. Plant community type was altered from Rhanterium epapposum to Cyperus conglomeratus and Stipagrostis plumosa. Annual forbs dominated species composition. Results of the study indicated that land degradation occurred both in marginal and arable areas. To expand in the Wafra agricultural area and to increase productivity potential of the existing farms, implementation of irrigation and drainage systems as well as projects to combat sand encroachment are recommended. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.