Integrated Watershed Management

Integrated Watershed Management

Revisiting the detailed-implementation studies of the Fakhran Watershed in South Khorasan based on the integrated watershed management plan

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Seyed Hamidreza Sadeghi 1
Arasteh Payfeshoordeh 2
Zeinab Pirooznia 2
Sadaf Piri 2
Masoumeh Hamzeh Bibalani 2
Mahdi Khairparast 2
Fatemeh Sarouneh 2
Sahar Mostafaei Younjali 2
Nastaran Naderi Marangelu 2
Ali Noori 2
Masoumsh Havasi 2
Reza Chamani 2
1 Professor, Department of Watershed Management Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Iran
2 Department of Watershed Management Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Iran
10.22034/iwm.2023.1986487.1053
Abstract
Extended Abstract
Introduction: Today, the occurrence of various events such as climate change, drought, flood, land subsidence, as well as the increase in population and the subsequent increase in demand in order to meet human needs, has caused many changes in the functioning of watersheds and the interaction of different ecosystems. In other words, excessive pressure on natural resources, unprincipled use of resources, and disruption of ecological balance in different watersheds have caused disruption, reduction of balance, and change in the behavior of watersheds leading to instability. The imbalance in the functioning of watersheds has caused various hydrological, ecological, economic, and social functions to face problems, and the role of local communities has decreased in the direction of sustainable development of watersheds, which requires the study, evaluation, and fundamental management of watersheds. One of the reliable management approaches accepted by the international communities is integrated watershed management (IWM), which plays an influential role in managing natural resources by prioritizing watersheds. Therefore, this research has tried to analyze the detailed-implementation studies of the Fakhran Watershed in South Khorasan, Iran, as an example of the detailed-implementation studies of the country based on IWM.
Materials and methods: To carry out this research, the Fakhran Watershed was first visited, and the watershed conditions were examined from the viewpoint of hydrology, erosion and sedimentation, water resources, socioeconomic and cultural status, and the potential of local communities and ecosystems. Detailed implementation studies of the Fakhran Watershed were obtained from the General Directorate of Natural Resources and Watershed Management of South Khorasan Province. They were evaluated and compared based on the IWM structure in the country.
Results and Discussion: The research results showed that cultural issues, laws related to watershed management, upstream policies affecting local communities, and modern knowledge of watershed management in the soil and water protection field still needed to be seen in these studies. In the economic aspect, despite the existence of economic strengths in the region, very general solutions have been pointed out, and the potential economic capabilities of the Fakhran Watershed, such as barberry, saffron, and jujube agricultural products, have been overlooked. The assessment of social issues also shows that the social needs of different age groups of believers, issues related to women, customs and rich culture of the region, and similar things have yet to have a place in the executive studies.
Conclusions: Various human activities and the occurrence of natural phenomena have caused changes in the behavior and performance of watersheds and disturbed the ecosystems’ balance. Different studies and management scenarios have been carried out by the relevant organizations to improve the watersheds' conditions, which could have led to better results. In this regard, revisiting the detailed-implementation studies of the Fakhran Watershed indicates that none of the six principles of comprehensive management, including politics, economy, society, culture, law, and knowledge, have been adequately considered in these studies. Also, the principled implementation of engineering, biological and bioengineering operations without considering the six principles of IWM cannot be employed in the future as a suitable approach to solve the problems of watershed residents. Therefore, studying watersheds and issues related to watersheds should be minutely reviewed, and the IWM approach should be extensively used to advance the goals.
Keywords
Community empowerment
Community needs assessment
Local communities
Natural resources laws

Subjects

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  • Receive Date 02 January 2023
  • Revise Date 07 January 2023
  • Accept Date 25 January 2023