1. German S. Kust,
Olga V. Andreeva
Institute of
Ecological Soil
Science/Moscow
State University.
Moscow, Russia
Assessment and Geographical Zoning of Desertification
in Russian Federation
Bonn,
Germany
UNCCD
2nd Scientific
Conference,
9-12 April
2013

2. 2nd UNCCD Scientific Conference theme:
“Economic assessment of desertification, sustainable land management and
resilience of arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas”
Lionel Robbins (1932):
“Economics is a science which studies human behaviour as a relationship
between ends and scarce means which have alternative uses”
Luc Gnacadja, Executive Secretary, United Nations Convention to Combat
Desertification (2012):
“The 2nd UNCCD Scientific Conference offers a unique opportunity to
transform our understanding of the real value of drylands, and associated
ecosystems services, by assessing the risk of inaction and the potential positive
economic impact of our actions and choices”

3. Russia is huge country with a belt of desertification
affected or risky areas of 1 220 000 sq. km or 7.2% of
the territory of Russian Federation. Almost 80% of
primary agricultural production is produced here.

4. Peculiarities of desertification phenomenon in Russia
Variability of ecosystems, desertification causes and trends:
There are no arid regions. Desertification affects sub-arid and dry sub-humid
regions: forest steppes, meadow steppes, and even southern taiga forests.
The sub-humid belt of Russia has the following specific features:
a great proportion of unirrigated fields in arable lands,
specific degradation of high-humic soils,
vast areas of sodic soils and soil alkalization,
natural water table rise in areas of dry agriculture,
dryness of Siberian chernozems,
soil compaction,
suffosion and thermokarst,
big area withgullies,
vast poorly drained areas,
under-flooding caused by the rising Caspian Sea level.

5. Peculiarities of desertification phenomenon in Russia
Socioeconomic factors
relatively high density of rural population,
relatively low heat and energy supply in rural areas,
high-humic soils,
poor profitability of agriculture,
decrease in the commercial value of land because of soil cover
complexity,
plowing of thin soils,
plowing of sodic and salinized soils,
destruction of valuable plant communities,
low standards of irrigation system construction and maintenance,
soil compaction caused by the use of heavy agricultural vehicles,
sociopolitical initiatives resulting in nearly complete loss of farming
lands (e.g. plowing of thin soils during the Virgin Lands Campaign).
These factors are tentatively named sociotechnogenic. We apply the term
techno- genic to emphasize that lands are degraded in the absence of a natural
risk to desertification.

6. Desertification causes most common in Russia :
Water table rise as a result of construction of water facilities, long-term irrigation or
extension of irrigated areas, and of natural geologic and/or climatic processes;
Irrigation with mineralised water;
Geochemical migration of salts to the margins of irrigated lands;
Drying of land surface caused by water table fall as a result of artificial river
regulation or construction of drainage systems and of natural geologic and/or climatic
processes
Pasture degradation in fragile lands (saline, alkalised, sandy, steep slopes, etc)
Plowing of fragile soils;
Use of heavy agricultural vehicles on arable lands;
Steppe fires
Deforestation
Technogenic and urbogenic degradation of soil and vegetation.
Progradation phenomena associated with modern processes of natural and
artificial recovery of previously degraded lands :
Natural recovery of vegetation on abandoned lands and degraded pasturelands;
An increase in pastures productivity due to reclamation;
Recovery of forest vegetation;
Soil desalinisation and dealkalinization as a result of amelioration.

7. Desertification trends most common in Russia :
Water erosion (incl. gullies and surface wash)
Formation of loose and deflatable surfaces (result of wind erosion)
Salinization
Alkalinization
Overcompaction of soils
Under-flooding
Decrease of productivity of natural vegetation (mainly on pastures and in
forests).
Progradation trends:
Steppe vegetation recovery;
Recovery of forests and shrubs;
Desalinization and dealkalinization of soil

8. Actual desertification processes (by rates)
km2 % of
mapped
area
Weak 327118 20.75
Moderate 468318 29.71
Severe 211255 13.40
Very severe 74338 4.58
Actual desertification processes (by trends)
Water erosion 532593 33.80
Formation of loose and deflatable surfaces 290958 18.47
Salinization 103396 6.55
Alkalinization 154080 9.79
Overcompaction 1687 0.11
Underflooding 14867 0.94
Decrease of productivity of natural vegetation 78228 4.96
Technogenic degradation 14448 0.92
Other areas under desertification risks
Weak 71599 4.54
Moderate 66309 4.21
Severe 10905 0.70
Very severe 1757 0.11
Progradation
Steppe vegetation recovery 1900 0.12
Recovery of forests and shrubs 74550 4.73
Desalinization and dealkalinization 22796 1.45

9. The Mosaic of space images for desertification assessment

10. NeRIS methodology for automatic processing
of space data and mapping (A.Savel’ev, D.Dobrynin et al.)
Determination of
Determination of
land classes for
vegetation classes
Nothern Caspian
for Baikal region
region
Determination of
desertification
classes for
Southern part of
Western Siberia

11. Desertification/Land degradation map of Russia (1:1 500 000)
(Kalmykia fragment)

12. North-West
Pre-Caspian Region

13. South of Western Siberia

14. Desertification map of Russian Federation
Types of lands Area
km2 %
Total mapping area 1576093 100
Lands prone to desertification (actual desertification) 1190257 75.52
Other lands under desertification risk (potential threats) 169111 10.73
Lands not prone to desertification 14606 0.93
Other lands under progradation 99246 6.30
Lands not included in consideration (water basins and 102873 6.53
mountainous regions)

15. Geographical zoning of desertification
The scheme includes 15 desertification provinces subdivided into 58 districts
differ in combinations of desertification risks, trends and rates, and in
regional peculiarities of land use.

16. Criteria to determine desertification provinces
and districts:
Types (trends) of desertification and their
variability
Desertification causes
Rate of land degradation
Type of economic activity and corresponding
losses of natural resources
Costs of restoration and rehabilitation measures
 Costs of life support
Biogeochemical peculiarities
Medico-geographical peculiarities

17. POLICY ORIENTED RECOMMENDATIONS
The problem of desertification is multidimensional. Effects of land degradation
are associated with a decrease and loss of biological and economic productivity.
Desertification generates numerous social and demographic problems not only
at sites of desertification but also in neighboring regions (labor force decline;
decreasing birth rate; and worsening living standards, jobs emigration, etc)
The medico-biological and medico-geographical environment worsen
dramatically in desertified regions (electrolyte balance, cancer, worsening of
potable water quality, gastrointestinal and genitourinary tumors)
Main economic losses include:
• loss of gross agricultural and livestock production,
•decrease in industrial production depending on agricultural raw materials,
•decrease in real income and living standards of the population,
• increase in investments and expenses per unit of production,
•Increase in costs of restoration and conservation,
•quantitative and qualitative loss of natural resources (soil and potable water
reserves),
• cost of life support (housing, health services, potable water purification,
transport, municipal requirements, etc.),
•Cost of unemployment assistance.

18. General evaluation of desertification cost in Russia
With the current rate of loss of productive pasture and arable lands
in dry regions of Russia, the conservative estimate of the annual loss
caused by worsening of the quality of land resources only (not
including the loss of agricultural production, associated industry,
cost of recovery, social expenses, or health services) is no less than
40— 50 million US dollars.
The overall annual environmental and economic damage caused by
desertification of agricultural lands in the arid belt of Russia is
assessed at no less than 1.0 -1.5 billion US dollars over the last 20—
25 years.

19. The top-priorities in combating desertification:
Indicators for prediction and monitoring of desertification and droughts
Ranking and assessment of regions prone to desertification; natural and
socioeconomic zoning of desertification
Economic motivating methods and encouragement to combat
desertification and droughts
Development of technologies adapted to various natural, economic, and
social conditions
Measures for the protection of settlements, including agroforestry
Development and application of measures to prevent human and
livestock diseases
Knowledge management, awareness, and information exchange;
Restoration and development of traditional indigenous methods of
environmental land use

20. CONCLUSION
Desertification mapping and zoning is an effective tool
to define major threats and promote decision support
and knowledge management, especially in big countries
with different manifestations and causes of
desertification phenomenon.
The first-time made desertification map of Russian
Federation is presented, as well as geographical zoning
prepared for economic purposes.
A full set of policy oriented recommendations is
proposed