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World’s Soil Resources

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13.3 | Major threats to soils in the region<br />

13.3.1 | Erosion<br />

Water erosion<br />

Water erosion is predominant in the part of the region which has sloping lands and where rainfed agriculture<br />

is practiced, although it may also occur in gently sloping areas. The degree of water erosion depends on the<br />

intensity and duration of the rainstorms, often enhanced by the terrain attributes and land use practices,<br />

particularly where these have reduced land cover. Water erosion results in the removal of fertile soil and in the<br />

reduction of irrigation efficiency and storage capacity. Considerable volumes of soil may be lost. Based on the<br />

GLASOD survey quoted by Abahussain et al. (2002), the total area affected by water erosion in NENA has been<br />

estimated at about 41 million ha. However, the extent varies significantly by country (Table 13.1.).<br />

Country Area Country Area Country Area<br />

Algeria 3 900 Lebanon 65 Sudan 17 300<br />

Bahrain 0 Libya 1 300 South Sudan n.d.<br />

Egypt Negligible Morocco 3 600 Syria 1 200<br />

Iran 1 70 000 Oman 2 800 Tunisia 3 800<br />

Iraq 1 150 Palestine n.d.<br />

United Arab<br />

Emirates<br />

0<br />

Jordan 330 Qatar 0 Yemen 5 600<br />

Kuwait 0 Saudi Arabia 200<br />

Table 13.1 Land degradation caused by water erosion in the NENA region (1000 ha)<br />

Source: Abahussain et al., 2002.<br />

1 Azimzadeh et al., 2008<br />

Status of the <strong>World’s</strong> <strong>Soil</strong> <strong>Resources</strong> | Main Report Regional Assessment of <strong>Soil</strong> Changes<br />

404<br />

in the Near East and North Africa

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