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Consequences
Most plants are not adapted to high levels of salinity. If soil becomes overly salinated, agricultural productivity steeply declines. Crop failure and stunted plant growth are not the only consequences. Salt is corrosive to many metals and surfacing materials like asphalt, and if left untreated, salinated soil can increase erosion of roads, pipes or wiring. As the salinity levels become higher, drinking water quality can also become affected negatively. High salt contents can be dangerous for human consumption. This is compounded further if chemicals leached by salt corrosion are added to water supplies.
Salt Leaching
Underground water tables or deep soils can have high salt deposits which normally do not affect crops or surface installations can leach up through capillary action. If water from wells and ground pumps is drawn faster that it can be replaced by rain or underground water movement, deep salts will begin to rise and ultimately reach the surface. This is further exacerbated by irrigating with high saline ground water which leaves dissolved salts on the top soil layer.
Sea Level Rise
As global sea levels steadily rise, coastal groundwater is gradually contaminated with high-saline sea water. There is an interface barrier between inland groundwater and sea water which is pushed further inland as the the coast line rises and increases inward pressure. Groundwater contamination is accelerated over pumping of wells for irrigation or drinking water.
Storm Surges
One of the most rapid ways soil becomes salinated is by depositions of sea water that reach inland during coastal storms. When sea water evaporates, the salt crystals remain on the ground. The effect is repeated throughout monsoon season as coastal storms and tropical cyclones deposit more and more saltwater on the soil. If adequate rains follow or surges to not reach far inland to agricultural zones, the effect is minimal. However, just as sea level rise increase is problematic for saline contamination, recent increases in cyclone frequency and intensity are accelerating soil salinization in coastal areas.
Controls
No cheap and effective methods of removing the salt build up exist, especially in economically depressed areas in southeast Asia where coastal storms are prominent occurrences. One attempt at removing salinity is to flush the soil with potable water, driving salt deeper underground beneath the fertile top soil, although this is not an option in many areas due to already strained water resources. Remediation of natural environmental protections like mangrove forests and wetlands helps control salinization in coastal areas. For inland areas and farmland, the best option is to simply limit over pumping of groundwater.