内陆干旱地区的生态环境退化,除沙漠化、盐渍化外,水质盐化也是一个十分突出的问题。塔里木河1958年前是一条淡水河,全河各段河水矿化度没有超过1g/l的。现塔里木河每年只有3个月的淡水期,3个月是1—3g/l的微咸水,6个月为大于3g/l的咸水。塔里木河水质盐化主要是人为活动改变了地区性的水盐与水量平衡,所以,今后在干旱地区进行水土资源开发,必须注意水盐与水量平衡。

As a problem of the degredation of ecotope in the arid areas of inland, the salinization of water quality is as serious as the desertification and salinization of soil. Before 1958, Tarim River was a freshwater river with the general minieralization rate lower than 1 g/1.