Purpose: to analyze the irrigated and drained land area and assess the production potential of the reclaimed land in Russia, taking into account lands to be introduced into circulation by 2030.
Materials and methods. Well-known methods of economic analysis and analogies were used in writing this article. Indicators of the reclamation complex status were taken from the reclamation cadastre of the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia. Production potential was determined through expert assessment, taking into account production volumes and market prices.
Results. By 2023, irrigated lands occupied approximately 20 % of agricultural land worldwide, while they produced 40 % of all agricultural products in monetary terms. Global irrigated land is expected to increase from 324.29 million ha in 2021 to 350 million ha by 2030. In Russia, at the beginning of 2021, only 5.41 million ha out of 9.47 million ha of the reclaimed land, were in good or satisfactory condition, while more than 5 million ha require improvement to the technical level of reclamation systems. By 2030, 13.2 million ha of unused land and 7.2 million ha of abandoned land must be introduced into circulation, while at least 2.2 million ha of reclaimed land must be prevented from being abandoned and preserved. Agroforestry, phyto-reclamation, and chemical reclamation require 29.6 million ha of land. To achieve food security and ensure the development of the agro-industrial complex, Russia must increase the area of reclaimed land to 25 million ha in the coming decades.
Conclusions. According to expert estimates, the increased yield from all measures to introduce reclaimed land into use and improve its quality will amount to over 500 billion rubles per year. With 25 million ha of reclaimed land, the projected crop production volume will account for over 40 % of the total for forage and industrial crops, approximately 70 % for potatoes and vegetables, and approximately 16 % for grains. By 2030, the expected annual value of production from reclaimed land will be approximately 7,838.4 billion rubles, or 35.3 % of total volume.
doi: 10.31774/2712-9357-2026-16-1-1-18
land reclamation, irrigated land, drained land, agricultural production, product value from irrigated land
Kolganov A. V., Masnyi R. S., Balakay G. T. The reclaimed land potential in Russia. Land Reclamation and Hydraulic Engineering. 2026;16(1):1–18. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.31774/2712-9357-2026-16-1-1-18.
1. Rost S., 2019. Navigating the ancient Tigris – insights into water management in an early state. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, vol. 54, pp. 31-47, DOI: 10.1016/j.jaa.2019.01.005.
2. Jackson F., Tonkin S., 2022. Our crowded planet: As Earth's population hits EIGHT BILLION, fascinating charts reveal world's growth over the past century – with UN predicting Africa will drive much of the next billion and India will overtake China as the most populous nation. Daily Mail, 15 Nov., available: https:www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-11429339/How-current-world-population-reached-8-million-means-Earth.html (accessed 24.11.2025).
3. Kadomtsev A., 2019. Naselenie Zemli: prognozy, tendentsii, otsenki [World population: Forecasts, trends, estimates]. Mezhdunarodnaya zhizn' [International Life], Apr. 13, available: https:interaffairs.ru/news/show/22206 (accessed 24.11.2025). (In Russian).
4. Jagermeyr J., Pastor F., Biemans H., Gerten D., 2017. Reconciling irrigated food production with environmental flows for Sustainable Development Goals implementation. Nature Communications, vol. 8, 15900, DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15900, EDN: YFPDUX.
5. Valmassoi A., Keller J.D., 2022. A review on irrigation parameterizations in Earth system models. Frontiers in Water, 16 Nov., vol. 4, DOI: 10.3389/frwa.2022.906664, EDN: TZYWGW.
6. Ahunbaev A., Chuyev S., Adakhayev A., Sarsembekov T., Vinokurov E. (ed.), 2023. Efficient Irrigation and Water Conservation in Central Asia. Reports and Working Papers 23/4. Almaty, Eurasian Development Bank, 105 p., available: https:vinokurov.info/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/EDB_2023_Report-4_Irrigation_eng_compressed.pdf (accessed 24.11.2025).
7. Dowgert M., 2010. The impact of irrigated agriculture on a stable food supply. Proceedings of the 22nd Annual Central Plains Irrigation Conference. Kearney, NE., Feb. 24–25, 11 p., available: https:www.academia.edu/67978309/The_Impact_of_Irrigated_Agriculture_on_a_Stable_Food_Supply (accessed 24.11.2025).
8. Gurevitch J., Koricheva J., Nakagawa Sh., Stewart G., 2018. Meta-analysis and the science of research synthesis. Nature, vol. 555, pp. 175-182, DOI: 10.1038/nature25753.
9. Olgarenko G.V., Turapin S.S., Bulgakov V.I., Mishchenko N.A., Pautova L.E., Grushin A.V., Grishaeva O.Yu., Bannikova A.I., Travkin V.S., Mazurova I.S., 2021. Razvitie meliorativnogo kompleksa: stroitel'stvo, modernizatsiya i tekhnicheskoe perevooruzhenie: sprav. izd. [Development of the Land Reclamation Complex: Construction, Modernization and Technical Re-Equipment: reference ed.]. Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Rosinformagrotekh Publ., 87 p., EDN: XYRXMB. (In Russian).
10. 2011. The State of the World’s Land and Water Resources for Food and Agriculture (SOLAW) – Managing Systems at Risk. Rome, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; London, Earthscan, 285 p., available: https:www.fao.org/4/i1688e/i1688e.pdf (accessed 24.11.2025).
11. Prokopyeva K. Oroshayemye zemli v mire: kratkiy obzor [Irrigated lands in the world: A brief overview], 6 p., available: https:ecfs.msu.ru/Analitics/Material%20on%20irrigation_Prokyeva.pdf?ysclid=mn5lkdyuz2524002991 (accessed 24.11.2025). (In Russian).
12. Abdulbarova Yu., 2023. Top stran po zemel'nym resursam: reytingi 2023 goda [Top countries by land resources: Ratings for 2023]. LinDeal, available: https:lindeal.com/rating/top-stran-po-zemelnym-resursam-rejtingi-2023-goda (accessed 12.03.2025). (In Russian).
13. Shchedrin V.N., 2018. Melioratsiya v Rossii: problemy i perspektivy [Land reclamation in Russia: Problems and prospects]. Melioratsiya i vodnoe khozyaystvo [Land Reclamation and Water Management], no. S, pp. 30-36, EDN: MUJQTQ. (In Russian).
14. Shchedrin V.N., Balakay G.T., Kupriyanova S.V., 2019. Eksportnyy potentsial meliorirovannykh zemel' Rossii [Export potential of reclaimed lands in Russia]. Melioratsiya i vodnoe khozyaystvo [Land Reclamation and Water Management], no. 2, pp. 12-17, EDN: ZJCPYL. (In Russian).
subsidies for the implementation of State Assignment No. 082-00062-25-00 are from the federal budget.
