Uzbekcosmos uses satellite imagery to monitor soil salinity
Uzbekcosmos Launches Pilot Project to Monitor Soil Salinity Using Satellite Imagery
Uzbekcosmos, the space agency of Uzbekistan, has initiated a pilot project aimed at monitoring soil salinity through the utilization of satellite imagery. The project covers 90 agricultural plots in the Jizzakh region and is designed to assist Uzbekistan in developing strategies for soil restoration and sustainable land resource management.
Collaborating with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Uzbekcosmos unveiled this project during a seminar attended by local and international experts. According to Uzbekcosmos, approximately 1.74 million hectares of land in Uzbekistan are affected by varying degrees of salinity, with 65,200 hectares classified as severely saline. In addition, 5.5 million hectares have transformed into salt flats due to the drying up of the Aral Sea.
Ismoil Rasulov, Head of the Department of Science, Innovations and Technology Transfer at Uzbekcosmos, emphasized that salinization poses significant challenges, such as reducing water availability for plants, degrading soil fertility, and depleting essential minerals. Therefore, monitoring and finding solutions in this area is crucial.
The project will focus on monitoring 90 agricultural areas in the Zarbdar district and surrounding territories in the Jizzakh region over a period of two years. Specialists will assess soil salinity levels using vegetation (NDVI) and salinity (SSI) indices derived from satellite images. Farhod Mahmudkhodjaev, head of the Space Monitoring and Geoinformation Technology Center, explained that these indices will provide a comprehensive analysis of soil salinity levels.
While Professor Miao Lu from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences recommended additional vegetation indices to enhance the accuracy of the analysis, Uzbekcosmos plans to consider these suggestions in future projects. The current pilot project aims to demonstrate the feasibility of using satellite imagery and the selected indices for soil salinity monitoring.
By leveraging satellite imagery and indices, the project aims to streamline data collection, reduce laboratory research costs, and automate soil salinity assessments. This approach will make monitoring soil salinity across vast areas more efficient, enabling the identification of affected zones and minimizing the need for extensive field research.
Furthermore, the project will contribute to the development of strategies for land resource management and aid Uzbekistan in achieving its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). ESCAP economic expert Kareff Rafisura highlighted that the initiative will enhance data collection and analysis, ultimately supporting ecological and agricultural solutions tailored to Uzbekistan’s conditions.
In addition to strengthening government agencies’ capacity through the use of artificial intelligence and creating an open data platform, the project will provide space monitoring data to relevant ministries. An open geoplatform will also be established to allow users access to land resource analytics, marking the first Uzbekcosmos project to offer open access to such data.
Overall, the initiative represents a significant step towards enhancing soil restoration and sustainable land resource management in Uzbekistan, showcasing the potential of satellite imagery and innovative technologies in addressing environmental challenges.
