Fourth Working Session of the International Network of Soil Information Institutions (INSII) 6-8 November 2018 | FAO HQ – German Room, Rome, Italy

1. Global Soil
Salinity Map

2. Task
• Member Countries – GSP 5th Plenary
Assembly
• COAG 26th – Committee on Agriculture
(COAG/2018/12)

3. Threat
Dryland agriculture
2%
Total Irrigated land
Salt-affected
20%
FAO/UNESCO soil map of the world
(1970-1980):
• Of the 230 million ha of irrigated
land, 45 million ha (20 %) are
salt-affected
• Of the 1500 million ha of dryland
agriculture, 32 million (2 %) are
salt-affected
• Recent global estimations are the
result of different methods that
are not comparable
• Current maps are out of date and
too coarse for predicting trends
on salinization
http://www.fao.org/3/a-i6471e.pdf

4. Threat
Dryland agriculture
2%
Total Irrigated land
Salt-affected
20%
FAO/UNESCO soil map of the world
(1970-1980):
• Of the 230 million ha of irrigated
land, 45 million ha (20 %) are
salt-affected
• Of the 1500 million ha of dryland
agriculture, 32 million (2 %) are
salt-affected
• Recent global estimations are the
result of different methods that
are not comparable
• Current maps are out of date and
too coarse for predicting trends
on salinization

5. Threat
Dryland agriculture
2%
Total Irrigated land
Salt-affected
20%
FAO/UNESCO soil map of the world
(1970-1980):
• Of the 230 million ha of irrigated
land, 45 million ha (20 %) are
salt-affected
• Of the 1500 million ha of dryland
agriculture, 32 million (2 %) are
salt-affected
• Recent global estimations are the
result of different methods that
are not comparable
• Current maps are out of date and
too coarse for predicting trends
on salinization

6. Detection, Mapping and Monitoring
Proper Soil
Management
Objectives
 Produce a country-driven global
map of soil salinity (GSSmap)
 Global assessment on salt affected
areas
 Provide a baseline for soil salinity
monitoring
 Improve national capacities on salt
affected soil management
 GloSIS, SoilSTAT
 Improve/develop national capacities
National Maps
Pictures (Spreer, U. Hohenheim)

7. Progress
• Concept Paper – P4WG, ITPS, INSII
https://goo.gl/rc6Jef

8. Data Products
Based on the available data, countries will have three options regarding the type of
National soil salinity to be provided to create the GSSmap:
I - National topsoil salinity map (mandatory): , created with remotely sensed soil
salinity indices using Landsat (MSS, TM, ETM) and validated with ground truth
(EC, ESP and/or pH) data.
II - National root zone salinity map (optional): created with vegetation and soil
salinity indices using Landsat (MSS, TM, ETM) in conjunction with terrain attributes
derived from a DEM and validated with ground truth (EC, ESP and/or pH) data.
III - National subsurface salinity map (optional): , created with terrain attributes
derived from a DEM, irrigation water quality, meteorological data, ground water
table, land use and measured data. If available, the use of ECa measured with
electromagnetic induction could be used to limit the need for soil samples.

10. Thank You