Integrated Watershed Management

Integrated Watershed Management

Investigating the factors affecting the integrated management of Hamon Sistan wetland using factor analysis

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Department of Rangeland and Watershed Management, Faculty of Water and Soil, University of Zabol, Zabol, Iran
Abstract
Extended Abstract
Introduction
Water resources management is a set of methods, measures and plans compiled for the control, development, and optimal exploitation of water reserves which are adjusted and guided according to all or part of the economic, social, environmental, political aspects. The increasing human needs for ecological goods and services over the past few decades have led to increased attention to wetlands management, and today wetlands ecosystem management is considered one of the land management approaches. The purpose of this research is to investigate the integrated management indicators of Hamon wetland using factor analysis. This research was conducted by document and survey method and using a questionnaire in the villages of Hamon and Nimroz cities, during which, in addition to field visits and observations of the villages, the indigenous people of the region were interviewed.
 
Materials and methods
Hamon wetland, with an area of nearly 5700 km2 and a depth range of 1 to 5 meters in the desert area of the east of the country, in the region of Sistan is located between 60°39' to 61°35' east longitude and 31°15' to 31°32' north latitude, which is considered as the largest freshwater lake in the entire plateau of Iran. In this study, three economic, social and environmental indicators were selected for Hamon wetland management. The total number of households under study in the two cities is 1987 households from the outskirts of Koh-Khwaje and Talabhamun, and 321 questionnaires were considered to conduct this research. One of the statistical methods for analyzing the information in the data set is factor analysis. This method is used to determine the most influential variables when the number of variables under consideration is large and the relationships between them are unknown.
Results and Discussion
Considering the importance of Hamon wetland in ecological, economic, social dimensions and direct relationship with people's livelihood and environmental sustainability, it is necessary to change the attitude in the type of management and proper planning to restore Hamon wetland. In this research, the data obtained from the questionnaire was examined and analyzed. Based on the obtained results, it was found that all dimensions and indicators of the research had a significant impact on the integrated management of Hamon wetland. The factor load for the economic dimension is equal to 0.95, the social-participatory dimension is equal to 0.97 and the environmental dimension is equal to 0.85, which shows the social-participatory dimension and its indicators such as the revival of agriculture by the wetland. All kinds of partnerships in this field have had the greatest role and impact in the management of the Hamon wetland. Also, Cronbach's alpha coefficient was obtained for economic, social-participatory and environmental dimensions, which were respectively 0.839, 0.91 and 0.75, showing that the reliability of the questionnaires was good. The integrated management of Hamon wetland requires a kind of systemic approach, which will not be possible without paying attention to local communities and their participatory role in decision-making and planning. The effective factors extracted from the factor analysis of economic indicators showed that employment and income are the main factors in the field of integrated management of Hamon wetland. In this context, by supporting the private sector and increasing investment in the field of creating various businesses in line with the potentials of our wetlands, job security and economic well-being can be provided for the local residents. In this context, considering the interwoven relationship between the natives' income and the vitality of the Hamon wetland, with local management and planning in the field of entrepreneurship, and taking into account the local culture and the prosperity of the handicrafts market, and supporting it, it provided the conditions for economic well-being. Optimal and appropriate training along with the participation of local people is the main factor in the integrated management of Hamon wetland.
Conclusion
For the optimal and integrated management of water resources, a comprehensive look at the economic, social, physical, environmental, cultural and political characteristics is necessary so that the most optimal ones can be developed with a set of methods and strategic plans. Feedback from the proper management of the Hamon wetland is economically very important for the local residents, and it is also considered an important and wonderful resource from the environmental point of view. It is necessary to provide facilities and support platforms in order to increase private sector investment in creating employment and entrepreneurship, as well as supporting handicrafts and the development of small industries, to provide conditions for the economic dependence of local people and excessive exploitation of resources. Managing and protecting the natural potentials of any geographical environment requires comprehensive development and human sustainability in that environment; therefore, it is necessary to provide educational platforms and hold appropriate training courses on the importance of natural resources in the human environment and efforts to protect and optimally exploit it. In this context, it is necessary to take into consideration the local management and use the existing potentials by holding training courses and providing the necessary platforms for the use of local power in the direction of the restoration and reconstruction of the Hamon wetland, which leads to the sustainability of the natural environment in the long run.
Keywords

Subjects


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  • Receive Date 31 July 2023
  • Revise Date 15 September 2023
  • Accept Date 23 October 2023