Experience in Combating Desertification in the Republic of Kalmykia

Desertification or desertification is land degradation in subhumid, semi-arid and arid zones of the globe, which is caused by natural-climatic and natural-anthropogenic factors, individually or in combination. "Climatic desertification" is a term proposed in the 1940s by the French scientist Auberville. Here, "land" refers to a bioproductive system consisting of water, soil, living biomass, and the hydrological and ecological processes occurring within the systems. Land degradation is the loss or reduction of economic and biological productivity of arable or rangeland due to climatic conditions and improper use of land for economic purposes. Desertification is caused by soil desiccation, withering of vegetation, reduction of soil cohesion, which results in rapid development of wind erosion and formation of dust storms. Desertification is one of the consequences of climatic and natural-anthropogenic changes that are difficult to compensate and difficult to recultivate, because it takes an average of 70 to 150 years to restore one centimeter of fertile soil layer in the arid climate zone.