Abstract

Salinization is a significant constraint to agricultural production globally. Furthermore, projected changes associated with climate change are likely to exacerbate the risks associated with salinization which has implications for global food security. Despite the significance of soil salinization, there is sparse information on its impact to agriculture (and economies) in Europe and globally. This is partly because of the unavailability of reliable data on the extent and severity of salinization which limits biophysical modelling of impacts of salinization as a pre-requisite to any assessment of the concomitant economic impacts. This chapter provides a framework for economic risk assessment in regions where salinity poses a significant threat to agricultural production and to local or national economies, drawing on case studies from the North Sea Region of Europe. The analysis shows that there is a significant economic impact of salinization, with wide variation in the magnitude within and between North Sea Region countries. Further, we find that the magnitude of the impact of salinization critically depends on the type of salinization process, the degree and severity of salinity, the types (and value) of crops grown, farm level decisions such as the use of salt tolerant crops and other adaptation mechanisms as well as external shocks such as sea level rise due to climate change. The results of the study should provide a baseline for determining the economic costs of salinization and should inform the assessment of adaptation measures and the potential for saline agriculture.