Analysis of agricultural land condition in Western Kazakhstan from 1991 to 2023: the impact of climate change

Kazakhstan’s insufficient food production contributes to its dependency on food imports, highlighting the need for science-based technologies to address land degradation and boost domestic production. The privatisation of land and the establishment of a market economy led to the division of collective farms and significant land fragmentation, resulting in a reduction of agricultural land by 10.6 million ha in the West Kazakhstan region, particularly between 1991 and 2000. Desertification and soil degradation have led to decreased soil fertility, adversely affecting the agricultural industry. Over the last 30 years, the area of eroded soils has increased by 5–9%. As of 2022, over 16.7% of agricultural land remains unused, a substantial rise from 1991. This study aims to investigate the qualitative and quantitative transformations of agricultural land in the region over the past three decades and to assess the impact of climate change on land degradation processes. To achieve this, cartographic analysis of NDVI3g (Global Inventory Monitoring and Modelling System [GIMMS]) data for 1990–2022 was conducted, employing linear ordinary least squares and median Theil–Sen trend methods to identify long-term vegetation trends. The results showed a negative trend in agricultural lands with a decline rate of 0.0025 per year (P = 0.009). However, in the past 13 years, a positive trend was observed in only three regions, with an average increase of 0.007 per year (P = 0.03). These findings are statistically significant and highlight the growing impact of climatic factors on agricultural and natural ecosystems.