INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 04,2025
Journal:
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THE CONTENT AND ESSENCE OF THE DESERTIFICATION PROBLEM AND ITS
GEOGRAPHICAL ASPECTS
Ergashov Anvar Karimovich
Bukhara State Pedagogical Institute
Abstract
:This article describes the process of desertification and the natural and anthropogenic
factors affecting it, the causes and consequences of the problem of desertification, and their
geographical aspects.
Key words
:Desert, arid, degradation, erosion, ecosystem, natural resource, tropical forest,
anthropogenic factors, soil salinity, desertification.
Desertification means destruction of ecosystems of arid lands under the influence of
human economic activities and natural factors, degradation of all organic life forms and, as a
result, reduction of the natural economic potential of these areas.
Desertification is caused by improper use of natural resources of arid lands and extensive
land development. The issue of desertification is currently one of the global issues and is a
component of environmental protection problems.
Desertification is a set of natural, geographical and anthropogenic processes that lead to the
destruction of ecological systems in arid regions, the deterioration of all forms of organic life in
them, and, as a result, the decline of natural and economic opportunities.
These processes include the reduction of the types and quantity of natural plants, soil
erosion, soil salinization, and the reduction of fertility. 48.5 million of the earth's surface. About
10 million km2 of it consists of deserts and semi-deserts. about km2 was caused by
anthropogenic factors.
The process of desertification in arid regions is mainly due to the increasing impact of
human economic activity on desert landscapes as a result of the growth of the population in these
regions and the rapid exploitation of natural resources in agriculture and industry.
The use of plants for fuel and fodder, overgrazing of livestock on pastures, construction
of roads, pipelines, large irrigation canals, industrial enterprises, and settlements all contribute to
the development of deflation processes, sand drift, and disruption of the water balance, leading to
soil salinization.
It leads to environmental pollution, disruption of the dynamic balance of nature in arid
regions, that is, to an increase in the process of desertification. In the address of the UN
Secretary-General to the Intergovernmental Committee for the Control of Drought in the Sahel
(south of the Sahara), it was written that "in another 50 years, three or four countries on the map
of Africa could be completely wiped out by deserts."
Deserts are also emerging in other parts of the world. The areas that have already become
deserts or are at risk of becoming deserts are most abundant in Asia, Africa, and Australia; less
in Europe, North, and Central America; and South America is in the middle. Thus,
desertification is occurring at varying rates in the world's arid regions. In some deserts in Africa
and Asia, this process is accelerating rapidly.
Currently, desertification is occurring at a rapid pace in many parts of the world. As a
result of the desertification of arid regions, 50-70 thousand km2 of usable land is becoming
unusable every year.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 04,2025
Journal:
https://www.academicpublishers.org/journals/index.php/ijai
page 275
If we consider that the value of 1 sq. km. of arable land is 200 thousand dollars in US
dollars, then desertification is causing economic losses of 10 billion dollars every year. Such a
large amount of money will make significant changes in the lives of even 6.3 billion people.
The process of desertification is typical for arid climatic regions, which occupy about
30% of the Earth's land area. Desertification is also sometimes observed in semi-humid climates.
Drought is the "leaven" of the desertification process. The term "desertification" was introduced
to science in 1949 by the French geobotanist A. Aubreville, who studied the humid tropical
forests of Africa.
There are different interpretations of the meaning of the term desertification. However, most
scientists recognize desertification as the impoverishment of landscapes (ecosystems), that is, the
decrease (impoverishment) of their biological productivity.
Desertification increases the salinity of soils, increases wind and water erosion, pollutes
the atmosphere with dust aerosols, degrades the quality of the ecological environment, and
ultimately leads to serious socio-economic and moral damage. The situation with desertification
in the Central Asian region, and in particular in Uzbekistan, is becoming more serious every year.
The main reason for this is:
• the area of tree groves decreases from year to year;
• The rate of desertification in the area of the Aral Sea increases, sand and salt
appear instead of sea water;
• increased water erosion of land as a result of excessive water use.
Considering that more than 70 percent of the territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan
consists of deserts and semi-deserts, we can clearly see the consequences of desertification in
irrigated lands, including salinization, waterlogging, wind and water erosion, and rising
groundwater levels in pastures, especially in the Karakhotyn, Ayaqagitma, Mullali, and
Mingbulak swamps in the Kyzylkum Desert.
The drying up of the Aral Sea has created an additional 5 million hectares of Aral Kum in
Uzbekistan. As a result, the ecological environment in this region has deteriorated,
desertification processes have intensified, and numerous social problems have arisen.
As a result, the productivity of agricultural land is decreasing year by year, the production
of sufficient quantities of food, fodder, and industrial raw materials is slowing down, and the
quality indicators of the products produced are also declining.
In order to effectively use natural geographical processes, natural conditions and
resources of deserts in the future, it is advisable to pay attention to the following:
1. In the desert zone, there are still large areas of shifting sands that are detrimental to
economic activities. The creation of black saxaul corridors in the deserts not only gives the
deserts a beautiful landscape, but also protects pastures and soil cover from wind erosion, and
adds beauty to the desert.
2. One of the urgent tasks is to search for and organize new protected landscapes to
protect rare and unique representatives of the desert zone's organic world.
3. Beyond this, there are pastures that are poor in biological resources. It is desirable to
increase the bioproductivity of these areas through phytomelioration activities. In this regard, it
is necessary to use aksaksovul, kandym, cherkez, shuvok, izen, iliastragalikabiphyto meliorations.
4. Deserts provide opportunities for the development of not only pastoralism, but also
desert tourism.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 04,2025
Journal:
https://www.academicpublishers.org/journals/index.php/ijai
page 276
If the above-mentioned proposals are implemented, deserts will be used effectively and
the ground will be created for future generations. At the same time, we will prevent
environmental problems.
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