Salinisation

noun

/ˌsælɪnaɪˈzeɪʃən/

The accumulation of water-soluble salts -- primarily sodium chloride (NaCl), sodium sulphate (Na2SO4), and calcium sulphate (CaSO4) -- in the soil profile to levels that adversely affect plant growth and soil structure, typically caused by irrigation without adequate drainage, capillary rise of saline groundwater in waterlogged areas, or intrusion of seawater in coastal zones.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

Across the irrigated belts of Punjab and Haryana, decades of canal-fed over-watering without adequate drainage have driven the salinisation of once-fertile farmland, hollowing out agricultural productivity and underscoring why any sustainable-development strategy must treat soil health as a non-negotiable pillar of food security.

Synonyms

salinationsalinizationsaltingsalt accumulationsoil saltingbrackishness

Antonyms

desalinisationdesalinationleachingfreshening

🌱 Word Family

saline (adj/n), salinity (n), salinise (v), salinised (adj), salinometer (n)

🔡 Root

Latin sal = salt; salinus = of or pertaining to salt; -isation = process/action suffix (French via Latin -isatio)

📜 Etymology

From Latin salinus ("of salt", from sal, "salt") + -isation; soil salinisation has been a challenge since the earliest irrigated civilisations -- the decline of ancient Mesopotamian agriculture is partly attributed to salinisation caused by poor irrigation practices over millennia.

🧠 Memory Hook

Hear "saline" (the salt drip at a hospital) inside salin-isation — it is land getting put on a salt "drip" until the soil turns briny and barren.

🌿 Environment & Ecology 📖 Seen in: Soil Degradation, Desertification & La...

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