The document discusses the upcoming Global Symposium on Salt-Affected Soils to be held in September 2021 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The symposium will address the threats posed by soil salinization and sodification as major soil degradation processes. It will feature themes on assessing and monitoring soil salinization, its impacts on food security and the environment, and an action agenda for preventing and remediating soil salinization. The outcome will be a document highlighting the scientific evidence on salt-affected soils and recommendations for policies and programs to encourage sustainable soil salinity management.

1. The Global
Symposium on
Salt-Affected Soils

2. Salt-affected soils
• Soil salinization and sodification are major
soil degradation processes threatening
ecosystem services.
• Salt-affected soils can be found in all
climates and can be a result of both
primary and secondary processes.
• An important threat to our global soil
resources (FAO, 2015).

3. Global Symposium on Salt-
Affected Soils (GSSAS21)
• The government of the Republic of Uzbekistan
offered to organize and host the Global Symposium
on Salt-Affected Soils at the last GSP Plenary
Assembly (June 2019).
• Initially planned to be held on 12-15 October 2020
in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
• Due to the COVID19 pandemic, the symposium was
moved to September 2021, in Tashkent,
Uzbekistan.

4. Symposium outcome
• An outcome document highlighting the scientific
evidence on the status of salt-affected soils, their
impact and an agenda for action in the framework
of achieving the SDGs.
• The document will also provide recommendations
for developing sound environmental policies and
programs to encourage the integrated use and
sustainable soil salinity control and management
for salt-affected areas.

5. Symposium themes
• Theme 1: Assessment, mapping, monitoring and
tools to understand soil salinization;
• Theme 2: Impacts of soil salinization on agricultural
production, food security, ecosystem services and
sustainability;
• Theme 3: Agenda for action to prevent,
rehabilitate, remediate soil salinization and scale-
up sustainable soil management practices.

6. Visual identity

7. Organization of the symposium
• Working group of experts in soil salinity within the ITPS.
• Concept Note available
• Key messages developed  will be used for the
development of communication material to promote
the symposium and raise awareness on the important
issue of salt-affected soils.
• International Network of Salt-Affected Soils (INSAS)
will be involved in the organization of the symposium.
• Currently looking at potential co-organizers in addition
to the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

8. Thank you for your
attention