Salinity and Water Use: Future Research Directions

Summary

Future research directions in salinity at the molecular level are already predetermined, and will probably concern the details of ion pumping in cell membranes, the development of new antibiotics, the emergence of salt-tolerant plants and the like. The real problems lie in the catchments and will need the application of terrestrial field research for their solution. A brief analysis of the status of field research is presented and some reasons for its unpopularity are suggested. It is concluded that new research should concentrate on the location of saline soils, sediments and groundwaters more intensively than hitherto, on the origin of terrestrial salt, on the factors responsible for secondary salinity in soils, water supplies and irrigation areas, and on the criteria for evaluating salt-affected soils and techniques for their reclamation. There is acute need for research on the social consequences of a contracting population in irrigation enterprises that suffer partial failure.