The Town of the XXI Century
Series of reports on ecological situation in Central Asia

THE BORROWED PLANET

CAUSES…

First of all, scientists stress the importance of natural causes or, speaking scientifically, factors.

In Kazakhstan one of the main natural factors is represented by droughts. More often than anywhere else droughts occur on the territory from upper Uil river to Djezkazgan and from Zaisan lake to Ust-Kamenogorsk. In cases of droughts expansion of deserts in ecosystems reaches 15-20%. Nature can recover after droughts.

The process of degradation and expansion of deserts is stimulated by the influence of Caspian Sea. For Kazakhstan, significant part of which is situated in the zones of deserts and semi-deserts, natural factors stimulating expansion of deserts also include drying out of big lakes and even seas and short strong river floods.

However, more serious danger is represented by activities of the people, or, the so called, anthropogenetic influence. Here is a small example, which can show how the unforeseen activities of the people can harm the nature. Timber industry: cutting of trees and bushes for fuel is an industry that was developing in Kazakhstan for centuries. For example, even in 1950s a massive territory of industrially cut bushes existed in Urme valley located in the ancient delta of Syrdaria in Kyzylkum desert. Another territory of concentration of industrially cut bushes was in Koskuzak in the region of the terraces of the river Chu. This territory had even a special railroad track for shipment of the cut bushes. Cutting of bushes satisfied the needs of the local people. But the resources were used up by 1970s.

One of the other reasons for anthropogenetic expansion of deserts in Kazakhstan is represented by non-systemic, or rarely planned, gathering of semi-bushes as a food supply for cattle. The gathering is usually done so that the roots of the plants are destroyed. Only 5-10% of the plants recover after this method is used.

Another example. Since ancient times it was considered that grasslands located in the river valleys are the best pastures for domestic animals. Here peasants gathered the grass, which was later used to feed the animals through the winter. Currently the grass in river valleys disappears. Instead of it there are hard grasses, which can not be eaten by horses or cows. What are th reasons? The grass was cut without paying attention to the naturally optimal conditions.

It is well-known that the "virgin" lands, which in 1950-60s attracted people from all over USSR, suffer from wind erosion. But now water erosion is becoming a big problem in this region, even on plain crop lands. Erosion leads to a decrease in the fertile layer of the black lands and "chestnut" soils. In Kazakhstan erosion represents the main "channel" for the loss of productivity and crops.

… AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF EXPANSION OF DESERTS

Here we'll step aside from our main story and say a few words about the fact that many of the well-known and respected people of the country are seriously concerned about conditions of the nature. Some time ago "The national program of actions aimed at fighting the expansion of deserts" was developed. In the annotation to this program it is written that: "The National program of actions aimed at fighting the expansion of deserts covers a wide range of issues. It includes concise but in-depth characteristics of natural conditions of Kazakhstan. The main cuases of expansion of deserts are analyzed - agricultural use of lands with the low level of productivity, exclusion of the lands from agricultural turnover, monocultures, limited use of organic fertilizers, water and wind erosion, secondary accumulation of salt, intensive and non-systemic use of pastures and grasslands, destruction of forests, extreme regulation of the rivers' water supply, predatory exploitation of underground resources. Classification of the types of desert expansions is provided. Depending on the degree and characteristics of degradation, concrete measures are proposed for recovery of ecological systems (pastures and grasslands, forests and other places of natural massive concentration of plants), for recovery of fertility of crop lands, for recultivation of technologically destroyed lands in general and for preservation and balanced use of biological diversity. The annotation contains the list of actions, which can prevent further degradation of the natural sphere and can assist in the recovery of degraded elements of the environment of Kazakhstan. The national program of actions aimed at fighting the expansion of deserts must serve as the guiding state-wide document for concrete planning and stage-by-stage implementation of actions leading to execution of provisions listed in the UN convention on fighting expansion of deserts.

The National program of actions aimed at fighting the expansion of deserts was created by many leading scientists: biologists, meteorologists, hydrologists, doctors, geologists. The program scientifically carefully describes the processes of expansion of deserts. For example, it the third chapter of the program entitled "Factors of expansion of deserts" includes the following topics: "Expansion of deserts - degradation of lands", "Degradation of plants", "Wind erosion of soils (deflation)", "Water erosion", "Destruction of the upper fertile layer of soils", "Accumulation of salt on watered lands", "Accumulation of salt in cases of drying out of lakes and other bodies of water", "Chemical pollution of soils and underground waters", "Technological expansion of deserts", "Breaks in hydrological regimes".

This outstanding work contains also another chapter, entitled "Social and economic consequences of expansion of deserts". In other words, how dangerous this process is for the human beings themselves.

Continuation of our story uses this chapter as the background information; of course, our story has some sidetracks, which allow to distinguish free presentation of the materials from a scientific report. So…