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Irrigation and Salinity: a Perspective Review of the Salinity Hazards of Irrigation Development in the Arid Zone

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Irrigation and Drainage Systems

Abstract

Irrigation development in the arid zone almost alwayshas to deal with not only secondarysalinity but also with primary and fossilsalinity. In many cases, irrigationdevelopment brings about large scalechanges in the local geohydrological regimewhich often result in mobilization of saltsstored in the underlying substrata. Thisprimary and fossil salt mobilization hasbeen found to be one of the principalcauses of rivers salinization in irrigatedbasins in the arid zone. The paperhighlights this hitherto insufficientlyrecognized salinity hazard and discussesrelated control measures and strategies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Drainage Consultant, Arnhem, The Netherlands

    Lambert K. Smedema

  2. Water Resources Department, Yekom Consulting Engineers, Tehran, Iran

    Karim Shiati

Authors
  1. Lambert K. Smedema
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  2. Karim Shiati
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Smedema, L.K., Shiati, K. Irrigation and Salinity: a Perspective Review of the Salinity Hazards of Irrigation Development in the Arid Zone. Irrigation and Drainage Systems 16, 161–174 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016008417327

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016008417327

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