Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
programs have assisted in poverty reduction by providing off-season employment
in rural areas. In 2004 a national plan to combat desertification was ratified and
this placed an emphasis on community participation. Continuing challenges include
managing existing desertified areas as well as taking into account potential future
problems associated with rapidly depleting groundwater supplies and a predicted
reduction in the plant growth period accompanying climate change.
Improper land use and prolonged drought are the principal agents of desertifi-
cation. Reduced groundwater discharge, a variation of drought, is mainly due to
over-exploitation of a limited resource; hence, it is partly man-made; therefore,
humans have the power to control desertification through proper utilization of land
and water. This may be partially achieved by harnessing the flash floods common
to most deserts. Floodwater spreading is the key to desertification control in many
parts of the world.
Practical measures to arrest and reverse land degradation have been developed
over the past 25 years. Sand dune fixation by mechanical, chemical and biological
means is now well established technology. Control of soil erosion by water is serious
even in drylands where rainfall intensity is often high and sediments are easily
transported. Remedial measures have been perfected and replicated throughout
watersheds over the entire country. Proven approaches to land degradation control
are numerous, the necessity to apply them is strong, the technical capability is high
and finance is not such a limiting factor. The future outlook is optimistic.
References and Further Readings
Amiraslani F, Dragovich D (2011) Combating desertification in Iran over the last 50 years: an
overview of changing approaches. J Environ Manag 92(1):1-13
Anon (1976) Rainfall and evaporation maps of Iran. Surface Water Authority, Ministry of Power,
Tehran (in Persian)
Anon (1994) Desert and desertification in Iran, Bureau of sand fixation and combating desertifica-
tion. Forest and Range Organization 12 p, Teheran
Arefi HM, Darvish M (1996) Rational utilization of water potential; a lesson for combating
desertification. In: Proceeding of the 2nd national conference on desertification and its control
methods, pp 267-285, Sept 1996, Kerman, I.R. Iran (in Persian)
Bhimaya CP (1971) Sand dune stabilization. Report to the government of Iran. FAO no. TA2959,
32 p
Jalalian A, Ghahsareh AM, Karimzadeh HR (1997) Soil erosion estimates for some watersheds in
Iran Land Degradation and Desertification Newsletter of the International Task Force On Land
Degradation USDA, NCRS, Feb 1997, No. 1
Kowsar A (1991) Floodwater spreading for desertification control: an integrated approach.
Desertification Control Bull. UNDP, No. 19, 1991, pp 3-18
Kowsar A (1992) Desertification control through floodwater spreading in Iran, Unasylva, 1992/1
43, pp 27-36
Kowsar A (1997) An introduction to flood mitigation and optimization of flood water utilization:
flood irrigation, artificial recharge of groundwater, small earth dams. Research Institute of
Forests and Rangelands, Tech. Publ. No. 150, 522 p (in Persian)
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