МETHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO RATIONAL LAND USE IN DEGRADATION CONDITIONS

The current state of the environment is a consequence of the decades-long policy of an extensive approach to the development of productive forces and exploitation of natural resources. Over the years of land relations reforms in the Republic of Kazakhstan, problems associated with the degradation of soil fertility have emerged and significantly increased due to the violation and pollution of lands as a result of irrational physical and chemical impacts on the soil. The withdrawal of lands from economic circulation, as well as their transfer from agricultural lands to other categories, primarily for industrial, urban development and other needs, have aggravated the environmental situation with the process of land degradation.

The Republic of Kazakhstan ranks tenth in the world in terms of its territory. The country's territory is characterized by deserts, semi-deserts and steppes, which, combined with an arid and continental climate, determines the vulnerability of ecosystems to desertification/land degradation processes. Another factor influencing the aggravation of the problem is anthropogenic activity. Today, the problems of desertification/land degradation are particularly relevant in the Aral Sea region, the Balkhash region, and areas where intensive oil and gas production is carried out – in Western Kazakhstan, in the south of the country. In general, about 66% of the entire territory of the country is subject to desertification/land degradation processes in one form or another. The development of soil degradation is also determined by both a combination of natural conditions (climate, relief, mechanical composition of soils, etc.), and the degree of anthropogenic impact on them and the intensity of land use, primarily agricultural. Depending on the main factor of soil destruction and loss of fertility.