Yaser GHasemi Arian; Hadi Eskandari Dam aneh; Maryam Naeimi; Adel Jalili; Samira Zandifar; Azadeh Gohardoust; Sakineh Lotfinasabasl
Volume 32, Issue 1 , May 2025, , Pages 1-17
Abstract
Background and objectivesLand subsidence, primarily caused by excessive groundwater extraction, constitutes the most advanced and irreversible stage of desertification and land degradation. While this phenomenon poses a significant threat to numerous plains and major urban centers across Iran, existing ...
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Background and objectivesLand subsidence, primarily caused by excessive groundwater extraction, constitutes the most advanced and irreversible stage of desertification and land degradation. While this phenomenon poses a significant threat to numerous plains and major urban centers across Iran, existing desertification assessment models have largely overlooked subsidence rates and the agricultural sector's substantial groundwater consumption. This study evaluates desertification intensity in the Qaraqom basin through the dual lenses of water resource utilization and land subsidence dynamics.MethodologyThe study employed the Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) method in GIS 10.8 to create zonation maps for three critical groundwater indices: electrical conductivity (EC), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), and groundwater level decline. Data from 273 observation wells (2001-2018) were classified into four desertification intensity categories (low, moderate, severe, and very severe). These maps were integrated with a land subsidence rate map (2015-2016 water year) derived from Sentinel-1 satellite imagery provided by the Geological Survey of Iran. Additionally, reservoir volume changes (1985-2018) were analyzed for each aquifer to assess their relationship with subsidence patterns.ResultsAnalysis revealed severe to very severe desertification across 46.6% of the basin based on EC values, while SAR indicated low degradation in 90.6% of the area. Groundwater depletion showed the most critical conditions, with 53.4% of the basin experiencing severe to very severe impacts, particularly in the Sarakhs, Fariman-Torbat Jam, southwest Mashhad, and Narimani aquifers. Subsidence rates reached severe levels in 18.1% of the basin, with maximum values observed in the Mashhad, Fariman-Torbat Jam, Taybad, and Karat aquifers. The Mashhad aquifer demonstrated the highest subsidence rates and the most significant reservoir volume changes. Integrated assessment of groundwater and subsidence criteria classified 55.9% of the Qara Qom watershed as moderately affected and 26.1% as low-intensity desertification.ConclusionAs agriculture represents the dominant water consumer in the basin, immediate implementation of water efficiency and productivity measures in this sector is crucial to prevent irreversible socio-economic and ecological consequences of ongoing desertification and land degradation.
Maryam Kavianpour; Seyedeh Khadije Mahdavi; Mohammadreza Shahraki; Yaser GHasemi Arian
Volume 31, Issue 2 , August 2024, , Pages 149-168
Abstract
Background and purpose:Due to the occurrence of climate changes in recent decades, traditional animal husbandry systems based on rangelands have faced serious challenges. In this regard, the use of adaptation strategies is necessary as a solution to reduce the vulnerability of rangeland users. The present ...
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Background and purpose:Due to the occurrence of climate changes in recent decades, traditional animal husbandry systems based on rangelands have faced serious challenges. In this regard, the use of adaptation strategies is necessary as a solution to reduce the vulnerability of rangeland users. The present research has investigated the adaptation strategies of Turkmen pastoralists in the face of climate change in the Qaradong region of Golestan province. Materials and methods:This research is descriptive and has been carried out using a survey method. The research statistical population consists of 249 beneficiaries from 7 local communities in the Qaradong region of Golestan province, of which 148 people were selected as the sample size based on the Krejcie and Morgan table using a stratified random sampling method. The measuring tool of the research was a researcher-made questionnaire. The content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by using the opinions of rangeland experts, and its reliability was confirmed by calculating the Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Results:The results showed that the degree of pastoralists' adaptation in the face of climate change is moderate to high. The findings indicate that there are significant differences in the use of climate change adaptation strategies among the pastoralists. Thus, combined-developmental, saving, correct consumption, and emergency strategies were identified as the most used strategies. Also, the results showed that there is a positive and significant relationship between adaptation of pastoralists in dealing with climate change with the history of livestock pastoralism and the amount of income derived from it at the 99% confidence level and also with the variables of age, the number of household members, and the amount of income from non-livestock occupations at the 95% confidence level. Conclusion: The livelihoods of the pastoralists are heavily dependent on the rangelands, and many of them have only one economic source. This causes the continuation of the climate change process to increase their vulnerability. Therefore, adopting new activities in the form of diversifying income sources and creating alternative livelihood opportunities, as well as multi-purpose use of rangelands, will bring more adaptability of pastoralists to climate changes.
Yaser GHasemi Arian; Hosein Azarnivand; Ali Tavili
Volume 28, Issue 1 , April 2021, , Pages 82-92
Abstract
The search for the technical perspectives of the country's natural resources management depicts the important fact that management approaches play a very important role in the protection, rehabilitation, and sustainable use of these resources. In this regard, the present study was conducted ...
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The search for the technical perspectives of the country's natural resources management depicts the important fact that management approaches play a very important role in the protection, rehabilitation, and sustainable use of these resources. In this regard, the present study was conducted to evaluate and compare the ecological indicators of rehabilitated rangelands under two types of ecological-oriented and socio-ecological-oriented management approaches. For this purpose, the international carbon sequestration project and the desertification project of Sarbisheh plain were selected as two projects with socio-ecological-oriented and ecological-oriented management approaches, respectively. Then, in the executive scope of each project, three types of rangeland improvement operations, including plantation, crescent construction, seeding, and sowing were selected, and the percentage of vegetation, the amount of forage production, and carbon sequestrated in the soil were the basis for evaluation and comparison. Vegetation was measured by the linear transect placement method, production amount was measured by the double sampling method, and soil carbon was measured by Wallace and Blake method. The results of the analysis of variance showed that the interaction between the type of management and corrective operations on the value of ecological indexes was a significant difference at (p < /em><0.01). The highest value of indexes was observed in social-ecological-oriented management based on plant operations, and the lowest value was observed in ecological-oriented management under the same activity. The results show that capacity building, institutionalization, and real participation of the local community in all stages of planning, implementation, monitoring, and operation of these areas, in the socio-ecological management approach, bring more success in improving the index of ecological rangelands.