IRRIGATION AND LAND RECLAMATION PROBLEMS THAT AROSE IN ANDIJAN AS A RESULT OF SOVIET AGRARIAN POLICY

This study investigates the transformation of soil and irrigation systems in the Fergana Valley under the Soviet government, focusing particularly on the Andizhan region as a representative case. The research situates this transformation within the broader context of centralized agrarian modernization and the state’s prioritization of cotton monoculture as a strategic economic objective. Utilizing archival materials, statistical data, and historical analyses, the study explores how extensive irrigation projects, land reclamation initiatives, and canal construction programs simultaneously stimulated agricultural output and precipitated significant ecological degradation.