مهار بيابان‌زايي

۳.۲.                 Strengths and weaknesses

In some areas, hasty actions created some problems; For example, in Chah-e-Afzal, Yazd (Siah-Kouh Desert), forestation practices were not successful (because of not considering the salinity factor, ecological potentials and severe cold weather of the region); using oil mulches[1] increased the environmental pollution and reduction of number of animal life, increase in the amount of runoff water and preventing the region from taking advantage of the low precipitation (Rig-Boland, Kashan and few other places); the high density of the forest trees and bushes caused yellowing and wilting of saxaul trees especially in South Khorasan, Yazd, Kerman and Semnan and finally reduction of water resources; as a result of poor extension work in some afforested regions the forests were destroyed by the villagers for provision of fuel wood and finally plantation of few exotic tree species (i.e. Atriplex in Central areas, Pakistani Mesquite in Southern coastal areas, especially in Balouchestan), destroyed the indigenous species of the region and as invader plants accelerated the outbreaks of unknown diseases and pests. However, forestation had positive impacts in many other areas, and often the desertification factors (such as barren soils, immigration, biodiversity decline, land productivity reduction, sand dunes, infrastructure and population centres elimination, wind erosion etc.) were reduced or prevented. These successful activities put Iran among the 5 preeminent countries in sand dunes fixation activities that many countries such as Jordan, Arab United Emirates-Abu Dhabi and some African countries invited Iran to transfer its experiences in this regard (Khold-e-Barin, et al, 1985) (Sand Dune Fixation and Desertification Control Department, 1996). Till 1984, more than 1.5 million hectares of the whole 12 million hectares of deserts of Iran, went through forestation and sowing programmes, 500 thousand hectares of which with an average biological production of 200 kilograms per hectare was reclaimed and reached to exploitation stage, while average production in the rest 10.5 million hectares, despite proper precipitation, did not even reach 10 kilograms per hectare. This meant that the production potential of approximately 4 percent of Iran’s reclaimed deserts was almost equal to the production of the rest 96 percent. Such accomplishment in arid regions announced as a zero production potential zone by the international organization involved (UNEP, 1997), led to a more rapid extension of activities in this regard in spite of all constraints. It should be noted that actually the socio-cultural outcomes of the said programmes in most regions such as Khorasan, have been more than their economic values resulted from the production increase of the region, because these programmes raised the resistance level of the desert habitats against water shortage and drought and reduced the percentage of immigration and evacuation of villages. On the other hand, the desertification control activities in an extensive desert area of the country that needed considerable human resources during winter, when the farmers and stock breeders were free could reduce unemployment and increase their per caput incomes. Agricultural lands conservation, communication lines improvement, dust reduction, weather clemency, environmental improvement and reduction of lung diseases were other outcomes of the desertification control programmes. The most important proofs in this regard are the considerable improvement of socio-economic situation and natural plantation coverage of Abouzaid-Abad and Ali-Abad in Kashan, Imamzadeh Agha Ali Abbas in Natanz, Ardestan on the borders of Esfahan and Yazd, Khoor and Biabanak, Jandaq and Anarak in Naieen region and finally, Bord-e-Khoon and Shahnia till Badoleh and coastal Lavar (Boushehr Province) (Khold-e-Barin, et al, 1985, Alavi-Nejad et al, 1987, Abbasi et al, 2002).

So, during almost two past decades (till year 2001), the actions explained above was extended to 6.5 million hectares of deserts in Iran with more than 330 percent growth. The sowing and seeding activities with almost 450 percent and oil mulching with only 48 percent shows the most and the least growth respectively.

The deterrent factor in assessment of implemented plans is that almost all sand dune fixation plans and programmes did not have any comprehensive and formulated ecological assessment of the region; the justifications for the plans and their implementation methods were presented was general and stereotypical, emphasizing on sandy soil of the region and over-grazing which speeded up the movement of sand dunes. For example the same process of seeding could equally be used in clay pans of Yazd with a high percentage of clay and average precipitation of 40 millimeters per year and Sabzevar Dolat-Abad region with a productive soil and average precipitation of 200 millimeters per year (Khod-e-barin, 1996). In spite of the said constraints and technical failures, the possibility of socioeconomic outcomes of the plans is defendable and generally welcomed by local habitats.

At the end of this section, it should be noted that desertification control practices should not be limited to arid and desert areas, what is done during the past 5 decades, and despite several achievements in sand dune fixation, today we observe signs of desertification out of arid zones, the most important of all is the 900 percent increase of flood occurrences (Khosroshahi, Watersheds Assessment and Research Department, 2001) and soil productivity decline in more humid regions of the country. Tendency towards water table management (Abkhandary) of the regions surrounding the desert with high production potentials is a result of this new approach which will be fully discussed in research and achievements section.