THE CONTENT AND ESSENCE OF THE DESERTIFICATION PROBLEM AND ITS GEOGRAPHICAL ASPECTS

Аннотация

This article describes the process of desertification and the natural and anthropogenic factors affecting it, the causes and consequences of the problem of desertification, and their geographical aspects. Key words:Desert, arid, degradation, erosion, ecosystem, natural resource, tropical forest, anthropogenicfactors, soil salinity, desertification. Desertification means destruction of ecosystems of arid lands under the influence of human economic activities and natural factors, degradation of all organic life forms and, as a result, reduction of thenatural economic potential ofthese areas. Desertification is caused by improper use of natural resources of arid lands and extensive land development. The issue of desertification is currently one of the global issues and is a component ofenvironmental protection problems. Desertification is a set of natural, geographical and anthropogenic processes that lead to the destruction of ecological systems in arid regions, the deterioration of all forms of organic life in them,and, as aresult, thedecline ofnatural and economicopportunities. These processes include the reduction of the types and quantity of natural plants, soil erosion, soil salinization, and the reduction of fertility. 48.5 million of the earth's surface. About 10 million km2 of it consists of deserts and semi-deserts. about km2 was caused by anthropogenicfactors. The process of desertification in arid regions is mainly due to the increasing impact of human economic activity on desert landscapes as a result of thegrowth of the population in these regions and the rapid exploitationof natural resources in agriculture and industry. The use of plants for fuel and fodder, overgrazing of livestock on pastures, construction of roads, pipelines, large irrigation canals, industrial enterprises, and settlements all contribute to thedevelopment of deflation processes, sanddrift, and disruption ofthe water balance, leading to soilsalinization. It leads to environmental pollution, disruption of the dynamic balance of nature in arid regions, that is, to an increase in the process of desertification. In the address of the UN Secretary-General to the Intergovernmental Committee for the Control of Drought in the Sahel (south of the Sahara), it was written that "in another 50 years, three or four countries on the map ofAfrica could becompletely wiped out bydeserts." Deserts are also emerging in other parts of the world. The areas that have already become deserts or are at risk of becoming deserts are most abundant in Asia, Africa, and Australia; less in Europe, North, and Central America; and South America is in the middle. Thus, desertification is occurring at varying rates in the world's arid regions. In some deserts in Africa andAsia, this process is accelerating rapidly. Currently, desertification is occurring at a rapid pace in many parts of the world. As a result of the desertification of arid regions, 50-70 thousand km2 of usable land is becoming unusableevery year. page274 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ISSN:2692-5206,ImpactFactor:12,23 AmericanAcademicpublishers,volume05,issue04,2025 Journal: https://www.academicpublishers.org/journals/index.php/ijai If we consider that the value of 1 sq. km. of arable land is 200 thousand dollars in US dollars, then desertification is causing economic losses of 10 billion dollars every year. Such a largeamount of money will makesignificant changes inthelives ofeven 6.3billion people. The process of desertification is typical for arid climatic regions, which occupy about 30% of the Earth's land area. Desertification is also sometimes observed in semi-humid climates. Drought is the "leaven" of the desertification process. The term "desertification" was introduced to science in 1949 by the French geobotanist A. Aubreville, who studied the humid tropical forests ofAfrica. There are different interpretations of the meaning of the term desertification. However, most scientists recognize desertification as the impoverishment of landscapes (ecosystems), that is, the decrease(impoverishment) oftheir biological productivity. Desertification increases the salinity of soils, increases wind and water erosion, pollutes the atmosphere with dust aerosols, degrades the quality of the ecological environment, and ultimately leads to serious socio-economic and moral damage. The situation with desertification intheCentral Asian region, and in particular in Uzbekistan, isbecoming more serious everyyear. Themain reason for thisis: •thearea of​ ​ tree groves decreases from year to year; • The rate of desertification in the area of ​ ​ the Aral Sea increases, sand and salt appear instead of seawater; •increased water erosion of landas a result ofexcessivewater use. Considering that more than 70 percent of the territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan consists of deserts and semi-deserts, we can clearly see the consequences of desertification in irrigated lands, including salinization, w