Salt-Ruined Farmland Costs Billions of Dollars Every Year, Study Finds

"Salt residue from soil irrigation degrades around 5,000 acres of farmland every day at a global annual cost of $27 billion dollars in lost arable revenues, according to a study released Tuesday.

Using cheap, short-sighted ways to water land without adequate drainage methods are the chief reason behind the land spoilage, according to the report by the UN University’s Canadian-based Institute for Water (UNU-INWEH). The total area being affected, the report notes, has shot up over the last two decades — from 111 million acres in 1991 to 160 million in 2013, representing some 20 percent of the world's irrigated lands.

Researchers warn that big investment is necessary to reverse the trend."

Wilson Dizard reports for Aljazeera America October 28, 2014.

SEE ALSO:

"Who Should Pay To Fix The World's Salt-Damaged Soils?" (NPR)