Environmental, agricultural, and socioeconomic impacts of salinization to family-based irrigated agriculture in the Brazilian semiarid regions

Authors: DIAS, NILDO - Federal Rural University Of The Semi-Arid; SILVA, JUCIREMA - Federal Rural University Of The Semi-Arid; MORENO-PIZANI, MARIA - Pecege College; LIMA, MATHEUS - Polytechnical University Of Valencia; Ferreira, Jorge; LINHARES, EDNA - Federal Rural University Of The Semi-Arid; NETO, OSVALDO - Federal Rural University Of The Semi-Arid; PORTELA, JEANE - Federal Rural University Of The Semi-Arid; SILVA, MARCIA - Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Norte; NETO, MIGUEL - Federal Rural University Of The Semi-Arid; FERNANDES, CLEYTON - Federal Rural University Of The Semi-Arid

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/10/2020
Publication Date: 9/27/2020
Citation: Dias, N.D.S., Silva, J.F., Moreno-Pizani, M.A., Lima, M.C.F., Ferreira, J.F.S., Linhares, E.L.R., Neto, O.N.S., Portela, J.C., Silva, M.R.F., Neto, M.F., Fernandes, C.D.S. 2021. Environmental, agricultural, and socioeconomic impacts of salinization to family-based irrigated agriculture in the Brazilian semiarid regions. In: Taleisnik E., Lavado R.S., editors. Saline and Alkaline Soils in Latin America. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. p. 37-48. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-52592-7_2.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-52592-7_2

Interpretive Summary: Soil salinity is one of the major abiotic factors causing a serious threat to global food security, mainly in arid and semiarid regions. In addition, salinity brings socioeconomic impacts associated with low crop productivity, loss of agricultural jobs, and devaluation of arable lands. This chapter discusses agricultural, environmental, and socioeconomic impacts of soil salinization and reports two case studies from irrigated communities of the Brazilian semiarid region, where previously-cultivated lands were abandoned due to increased soil salinity. These case studies are compared with published literature to confirm that natural soil salinity is exacerbated by anthropogenic activities such as deforestation, lack of irrigation management, and use of recycled water with higher salinity. It is concluded that socioeconomic impacts of soil salinity and ensuing degradation of agricultural lands translate directly into loss or reduction of crop yield, farmer’s profit margins, rural unemployment, and reduction of land commercial value. Only governmental and private institutions have the financial capability to intervene to help small farmers turn this bleak scenario around. Those actions include improving water and soil management, subsidizing infrastructure for water storage and distribution during water shortages, and providing technical assistance leading to the implementation of salt-tolerant crops and forages, among others, which will alter the future and quality of life of small farmers in Brazilian semiarid communities.

Technical Abstract: Soil salinity is one of the major abiotic factors causing a serious threat to global food security, mainly in arid and semiarid regions. Salinity brings socioeconomic impacts associated with low crop productivity and devaluation of agricultural lands. In this chapter, we approach agricultural, environmental, and socioeconomic impacts of soil salinization. We also report two case studies from irrigated areas of the Brazilian semiarid, where previously cultivated lands were abandoned due to increased soil salinity. A survey of the published literature showed that soil salinity became a global problem that is accelerated by human activities such as deforestation and lack of irrigation management. We conclude that socioeconomic impacts of soil salinity in agricultural lands translate directly as either loss or reduction of crop yield, profit margins, unemployment, and/or reduction of land commercial value in the long run due to soil infertility. Only governmental and private institutions have the financial capability to intervene and help small farmers to counteract this bleak scenario, including water and soil management improvement, to alter the future and improve quality of life of small farmers in the Brazilian semiarid region.