Ardeshir Mesbah; Esmail Karamidehkordi; Shadali Tohidloo; Amin Salehpour Jam; Tofigh Saadi
Abstract
Iran has always been one of the most vulnerable places in the world against environmental hazards due to its special spatial-spatial structures. The aim of this research is to review the traces of resilience of natural hazards in Iran with an emphasis on the hazards of floods, droughts, land degradation ...
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Iran has always been one of the most vulnerable places in the world against environmental hazards due to its special spatial-spatial structures. The aim of this research is to review the traces of resilience of natural hazards in Iran with an emphasis on the hazards of floods, droughts, land degradation and combined researches. This study was carried out using a conceptual methodology and using a systematic analysis of related researches conducted in the country in the form of articles, treatises and dissertations included in selected databases inside the country. In this research, using conceptual analysis, the data were analyzed thematically. Although a handful of studies on resilience against natural hazards had been conducted in Iran before the 2010s, these resilience studies, especially in rural areas, have a short lifespan. After the scientific refinement of 1742 scientific documents from the beginning of 2010s, fifty seven related articles and theses were extracted and analyzed. The results showed that the most studies conducted in the field of resilience were in the field of drought and the least studies were conducted in the field of land degradation studies. In the researches carried out in the field of flood, the social dimension received the most attention and the institutional dimension received the least attention. In the field of drought, the economic dimension and the institutional dimension respectively had the most and the least attention in the researches conducted in this field. In the field of land degradation and combined research, the physical dimension was the most important. By identifying the important components of society's resilience against natural hazards, it is possible to improve crisis management, reduce damages and effectively plan development and educational projects at the country level.
Alireza Rabet; Ghobad Rostamizad; Amin Salehpour Jam
Abstract
Introduction
One of the important problems in the process of implementing and maintaining watershed projects and natural resources is the lack of effective participation and cooperation of watershed residents. Based on this, it is necessary and inevitable to pay attention to the inhibiting factors and ...
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Introduction
One of the important problems in the process of implementing and maintaining watershed projects and natural resources is the lack of effective participation and cooperation of watershed residents. Based on this, it is necessary and inevitable to pay attention to the inhibiting factors and also to identify ways to strengthen the participation of local communities in the process of implementing watershed and natural resources projects. This research, was done with the aim of knowing the socio-economic characteristics of local communities, identifying indicators that are effective in reducing obstacles and increasing people's participation in the implementation of natural resources and watershed projects, knowing the expectations and needs of the local community and finally, scientific and technical solutions have been presented to increase the level of public participation in Arpachai pilot area of Zanjan Province .
Materials and methods
In this study, four influential indices, including social-cultural, economic, natural, and managerial, were identified and categorized with 40 sub-indices. Necessary information was collected through surveys, questionnaires, interviews, and multiple sessions with community members and local experts. The sample size was determined using the Cochran formula, and the collected data were analyzed using SPSS software. Also, to check the validity of the questionnaire from Cronbach's alpha, factor analysis was used in order to reduce and categorize the variables affecting people's non-participation in watershed management projects.
Result and discussion
The results showed that six factors explain 64.4% of the variance of the dependent variable and the education and information variable at the local level was recognized as the most effective factor that explained 29.97% of the variance of the dependent variable. Following that, the factors of improving the income and livelihood of villagers with 19.24%, diversity of economic activities and improving performance with 18.93%, strengthening the local economy with 13.92%, management of watershed projects with 11.34% and natural resources management with 4.3% were placed in the second to sixth priority, respectively.
Conclusion
In general, it can be said that the lack of information and awareness of the local community about the positive economic, social, natural and technical aspects and benefits resulting from the implementation of natural resources and watershed management projects in the area of their living and production is one of the important obstacles in the lack of participation and failure to achieve the anticipated goals in the implementation of watershed and natural resources projects in the study area. Based on this, attention and emphasis on the issue of building trust and increasing the level of social trust in the General Administration of Natural Resources and Watershed Management plays a significant role in the process of implementation and success of projects.
Hamzeh Noor; Amin Salehpour Jam; Seyed Hossein Rajai
Abstract
The degree of public participation in watershed management programs is a major determinant of success or failure of the programs, but the factors which make people participate still remain unknown. The main objects of current study are comparison evaluation of effective factors on preventing participation ...
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The degree of public participation in watershed management programs is a major determinant of success or failure of the programs, but the factors which make people participate still remain unknown. The main objects of current study are comparison evaluation of effective factors on preventing participation of rural societies in watershed management plans based on all people and experts’ viewpoints in Emarat Watershed of Khorasan Razavi Province. In the current study the effective factors on preventing participation of rural societies were classify in four classes include "economic", "educational-extension", "design-executive" and "social" indicators and 14 sub-indicators. Then the indicators and sub-indicators were prioritized using Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process and Friedman Test. Finally, the two-sample Kolmogrov–Smirnov Test was also used to examine the agreement of the two views on the importance of the items. The results showed that, from the perspective of both groups of experts and peoples, economic indicator has a greater role in preventing people participation in relation to other indicators. The results of sub-indicators prioritization based on local people and expert’s viewpoints showed that “ignoring people´s income as a direct economic motivation” and “shortage of education of watershed residents about plants and their purposes”, respectively, were ranked as the most important sub-indices. The most important difference of the sub-indices from the perspective of local people and expert are related to the “ignoring people´s income as a direct economic motivation” and “lack of stakeholder’s consultation in the design and development of projects”. The overall conclusion is that considering the benefits of stakeholders, and multi-purpose projects and factors such as stakeholder consultation, and training of local communities can provide the basis participation of people in the watershed development projects.
Amir Sarreshtehdari; Amin Salehpour Jam; Mohammad Jafar Soltani; Aliakbar Noroozi; Alireza Shademani; Masoud kherkhah zarkesh
Abstract
Determining the effectiveness of flood spreading schemes, especially from the point of view of effective economic and social indicators, over a quarter century after their implementation in the country, plays an important role in their assessment. In this study, indicators related to the effects of flood ...
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Determining the effectiveness of flood spreading schemes, especially from the point of view of effective economic and social indicators, over a quarter century after their implementation in the country, plays an important role in their assessment. In this study, indicators related to the effects of flood spreading plans on Ab-Barik Aquifer of Bam were identified and then ranked based on nonparametric statistical tests from the experts' point of view. For this purpose, first the indicators related to the effects of flood spreading projects on the aquifer based on library studies, expert inquiries as well as site visits and face-to-face interviews with local residents and users were identified and finally the validity of the questionnaire based on expert opinions was identified. Finally, the validity of the questionnaire based on the experts' opinions and their comments was finally confirmed. Also, the reliability of the measuring instrument was tested by calculating Cronbach's alpha component. In this research, based on the multi-response coding method, the variables of the questionnaire were of the type of qualitative and qualitative variables consistent with the Likert scale, so at this stage, a survey was conducted from 30 experts. The range of changes in mean rank values varies from 4.15 to 22.88. The results of the ranking of indices based on Friedman test showed a significant difference in the effectiveness of the effective variables in evaluating flood spreading projects on aquifer, so that the question of “reducing the damage to flood lands and gardens” with the rank mean of 22.88 and also the question of “conflicting among the villagers in the area” with the rank mean of 4.15 have maximum and minimum priority, respectively. In addition, the results of the study indicate the high effectiveness of flood spreading schemes in the Ab-Barik Aquifer of Bam.
Amin Salehpour Jam; Hamid Reza Peyrowan; Mahmoud Reza Tabatabaei; Amir Sarreshtehdari; Jamal Mosaffaie
Abstract
The desertification process, by reducing the biological production potential, leads to the destruction of ecosystems. In this research, to assess the role of edaphic factors on desertification in rangelands surrounding Eshtehard, Halgh-e-Darreh highlands, first, the map of units was created by crossing ...
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The desertification process, by reducing the biological production potential, leads to the destruction of ecosystems. In this research, to assess the role of edaphic factors on desertification in rangelands surrounding Eshtehard, Halgh-e-Darreh highlands, first, the map of units was created by crossing maps of slope classes, land uses, and geology using ArcGIS 10.3 software. Three indices of erodibility, salinity and permeability for each land unit were considered and classified. 185 and 179 samples were taken during 2018 and 2019 for indices of salinity and permeability for zoning of the study area, respectively. Then, weights of indices and consistency ratio were calculated by the AHP method. Method of multicriteria optimization and compromise solution, VIKOR method was used to prioritize the alternatives. After calculating the weighted normalized values, priority was given to desertification potential of the units. Also, the results of AHP showed that from the experts' point of view, salinity is the most important factor in desertification. Other factors such as susceptibility to erosion and permeability coefficient are in the next rank order, respectively. The AHP-VIKOR model has very high degree of adaptation to the corresponding classes in the control map. The percentage of compliance and non-compliance of the classes of the potential of desertification risk were 92.91% and 7.09%, respectively. The range of changes of Vikor index based on AHP-VIKOR method varies from 0.443 to 0.967. Accordingly, the study area has three classes of potential or severity of desertification areally 0.5% moderate, 7.06% high and 92.43% very high class respectively.
Mahmoudreza Tabatabaei; Amin Salehpour Jam
Abstract
Relationships between river water quality parameters and physical, geochemical and biological processes carried between basin resources (soil, vegetation, geology, land use, etc.), meteorological variables (temperature, precipitation, snowmelt, etc.), River hydrological variables (flow discharge), as ...
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Relationships between river water quality parameters and physical, geochemical and biological processes carried between basin resources (soil, vegetation, geology, land use, etc.), meteorological variables (temperature, precipitation, snowmelt, etc.), River hydrological variables (flow discharge), as well as human interventions are often very complex, nonlinear and non–deterministic in a way that makes their complete understanding impossible. In this situation, the use of computational intelligence (such as artificial neural networks) is a useful tool in simulating and estimating river water quality variables such as suspended sediment load. In the present study, by combining open source GIS libraries and neural network models (with and without supervisor), an intelligent GIS system has been designed and coded that can estimate daily suspended sediment load under univariate or multivariate conditions. The results of applying this system to Mazaljan River Watershed at Razin hydrometric station showed that this system is able to simulate suspended sediment load with proper performance and validation (with root mean square error of 1033 tonday-1, mean absolute error of 455 tonday-1 and Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency of 0.89 for the test data set). In general, this system can be used as a national infrastructure in the simulation and management of suspended sediment in all hydrometric stations in the country by relevant organizations.
Mahmoudreza Tabatabaei; Amin Salehpour Jam; Jamal Mosaffaie
Abstract
The proper estimation of the amount of suspended sediment in rivers has an important role in erosion and sediment studies, hydrology and management of watersheds. The simulation of suspended sediment in hydrological systems that has a lot of complexity and at the same time our understanding of the components ...
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The proper estimation of the amount of suspended sediment in rivers has an important role in erosion and sediment studies, hydrology and management of watersheds. The simulation of suspended sediment in hydrological systems that has a lot of complexity and at the same time our understanding of the components and processes within them is always uncertain led to the use of many intelligent models, including artificial neural networks (ANNs). However, the use of these smart models also faces challenges. Determining the proper structure of the network requires optimization of the parameters used (such as the optimal number of neurons and layers, weight and bias, and the type of activation functions), which their proper calibration, using test and error, leads to a lot of time spent in low efficiency. In this study, a multilayer perceptron (MLP) was used to simulate the daily sediment load of the Nirchai River at the site of the Nair hydrometric station in Ardebil province. In order to train the models, in addition to the error back propagation (BP) algorithm, Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm was used to optimize the weight and bias of ANNs. The fuzzy clustering method was also used to increase the power of generalization of the models. The results showed that training of ANN models with PSO algorithm with decreasing estimation error (decreasing the PBIAS of estimation and root mean square error up to 0.3% and 10.4 tons per day respectively) is more effective than ANN models that use only error BP techniques. Due to insufficient recorded sediment data in most hydrometric stations of the country on the one hand and the need to train ANNs with sufficient data on the other hand, the use of evolutionary algorithms (e.g. PSO algorithm) can be a good solution for improving the efficiency of intelligent models.
Jamal Mosaffaie; Amin Salehpour Jam
Abstract
Evaluation of the impacts of past watershed projects provides useful insights for future projects. In this study, the hydrology and water resources status of Akujan Catchment of Qazvin Province has been the object of the study in which the effects of various measures of watershed managements were evaluated. ...
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Evaluation of the impacts of past watershed projects provides useful insights for future projects. In this study, the hydrology and water resources status of Akujan Catchment of Qazvin Province has been the object of the study in which the effects of various measures of watershed managements were evaluated. For this purpose, the changes of water resources discharge, increased infiltration, water storage, peaks and volumes of catchment floods, were compared before and after the implementation of watershed management projects. Results showed that 114000 m3 more runoff storage has been carried out by watershed management operations that 20.1% of this volume was related to the structural operations and 79.9% of it was due to biological and biomechanical projects of the catchment. Results of the flood analysis indicated that the role of structural measures in the change of time of concentration is low and even negative. Therefore the reduction of the peak flow and flood volume at the outlet of the catchment is due to the implementation of biological and biomechanical measures which reduces the peak flows by 42.7, 25.4, 20.8, 17.1, 15.3 and 13.8% and flood volumes by 41.8, 24.8, 20.2, 16.5, 14.8 and 13.3% respectively for the return periods of two, five, 10, 25, 50 and 100 years. Another observation is that the effect of watershed management practices on the reduction of flood peak and volume decreases when the return period of flood is increased.
Amin Salehpour Jam; Fahimeh Rasooli; Amir Sarreshtehdari; Jamal Mosaffaie; Mohammad Kia Kianian
Abstract
People participation in the implementation of natural resources practices is one of the approeches that ensure the fulfillment of the goals and success of the projects. In this study, based on expert experience and different projects of natural resources implemented in watershed area surrounding city ...
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People participation in the implementation of natural resources practices is one of the approeches that ensure the fulfillment of the goals and success of the projects. In this study, based on expert experience and different projects of natural resources implemented in watershed area surrounding city of Tehran, the preventing social indices and sub-indices affecting on people participation were recognized and determined into three indices and 10 sub-indices. Obtained results from prioritizing effective social indices on preventing people participation in natural resources plans based on obtained weights from AHP method and expert questionary indicate that “unfavorable behaviorial indices” with weight of 0.623 and “unfavorable demographic indices” with weight of 0.130 have respectively maximum and minimum priorities, in the manner that prioritization of indices based on weights from maximum to minimum importance are “unfavorable behaviorial indices”, “cultural problems” and “unfavorable demographic indices”.Obtained results from prioritizing effective sub-indices based on expert questionary and the Kendalls' W rank test indicate that sub-indices have different roles on preventing people participation in natural resources plans, in the manner that the indices of “shortage of people trust in considering their ideas” with rank mean of 6.80 and “being low literacy and knowledge” with rank mean of 3.16 have respectively maximum and minimum priorities. The results also show that the index of “shortage of people trust” has the most priority as a preventing factor affecting on people participation, in the manner that two sub-indices of “shortage of people trust in considering their ideas” and “shortage of trust to continue projects”are two first priorities, respectively. Sub-indices of “shortage of young people in villages” from index of “unfavorable demographic indices” and also “being low or lack of culture of participation” from index of “cultural problems” were ranked as the most important social sub-indices.
Amin Salehpour Jam; amir sar reshtedari
Abstract
Investigation of desertification trend needs an understanding of phenomena creating changes alone or action and reaction together in the manner that these changes end up in land degradation and desertification. In investigating pedological criterion affecting on land degradation in alluvial fans, first, ...
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Investigation of desertification trend needs an understanding of phenomena creating changes alone or action and reaction together in the manner that these changes end up in land degradation and desertification. In investigating pedological criterion affecting on land degradation in alluvial fans, first, maps of slope classes, land use and geology were created, then a map of units was founded by overlaying and crossing these maps and grid layer created by extension of ET GeoWizards in ArcGIS 10.3 software. In this research, three indices of erodibility, salinity and permeability of soil were considered, finally each was shown in the shape of classified map. Then, weights of criteria and consistency ratio were calculated by AHP method. In this research, VIKOR method was used to prioritize the options. Results showed that the VIKOR index obtained from AHP-VIKOR technique alters from 0.002 to 1.000. Units of V1 and V10 with VIKOR indices of 1.000 and 0.002 have a maximum and minimum of desertification potential, respectively. The alluvial fans in research area were classified in two classes of I and IV from the view point of pedological criterion affecting on desertification using AHP-VIKOR technique, in the manner that 74.18 % of the area is in the low desertification potential, and 25.82 % is in the very high desertification potential, respectively.
Jamal Mosaffaie; Davood Nikkami; Amin Salehpour Jam
Abstract
In order to achieve sustainable development, planning an appropriate management program is essential. Watersheds are the main units of land management and the main objective of this paper is to review the history, current status and future management needs of these units in Iran. For this purpose, the ...
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In order to achieve sustainable development, planning an appropriate management program is essential. Watersheds are the main units of land management and the main objective of this paper is to review the history, current status and future management needs of these units in Iran. For this purpose, the concepts of watershed and watershed management were explained and organizational structure, activities and current approach to watershed management have been investigated. Four case studies of the approach and practices of watershed management in Iran and abroad were also mentioned (two internal samples and two external). The historic course of watershed management in Iran indicates that signs of changing approach are ongoing from a traditional mechanical to the systemic management approach. As a general conclusion for improving integrated management of watersheds in Iran, some suggestions were offered as follow: improving the current organizational structure of watershed management and establishing committees called watershed council, considering the scale of the watershed, applying a united and appropriate watershed management model, shifting the attitudes from technical engineering to managerial approaches toward the nature of watershed management, watershed participatory governance and establishing an unitary and coherent organizational structure.
Amin Salehpour Jam; Mahmoudreza Tabatabaei; Amir Sarreshtehdari; Jamal Mosaffaie
Abstract
Investigation of drought event has a great importance in the natural resources management and planning water resources management. In this research, the drought characteristics in the selected synoptic stations in northwest of Iran, including Ardebil, Khoy, Oroomieh, Tabriz, Zanjan, Sanandaj and Saghez ...
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Investigation of drought event has a great importance in the natural resources management and planning water resources management. In this research, the drought characteristics in the selected synoptic stations in northwest of Iran, including Ardebil, Khoy, Oroomieh, Tabriz, Zanjan, Sanandaj and Saghez were investigated using the Deciles Index. First, after rebuilding monthly missing data in the period of 1977-2014, time series of precipitation in each station normalized using Box-Cox Transformation. Then, the Deciles Index in different time scales of monthly, seasonal and yearly was calculated based on the normalized monthly precipitation of stations in the period of 1977-2014 by MATLAB and DIP softwares. Then, the drought characteristics, including intensity, duration and frequency were calculated in each synoptic station. In this research, to find the trend of precipitation in the 38 years, 1977-2014, First, trends of the selected stations were determined using Mann-Kendall trend test at the different time scales of the 19 year period, 1977-1995, then compared with trend of the 38 years and finally, determined the changes of the mean precipitation values in two subsequent periods, 1977-1995 and 1996-2014. Obtained results show that the mean annual precipitation at the all stations was decreased in the second period than base period. The results also show that the drought occurrence with different intensity, duration and frequency occurred in selected synoptic stations in northwest of Iran. The results also indicate that there is the decreasing trend of precipitation at the synoptic stations of Saghez and Sanandaj in yearly time scales. Although the stations of Saghez and Zanjan have no trend in the period of 1977-1995, they have decreasing and increasing trends in some time scales in the period of 1977-2014.
Amin Salehpour Jam; Amir Sarreshtehdari; Mahmoudreza Tabatabaei
Abstract
Consciousness of preventing factors affecting on stakeholder participation in watershed areas' plans is a main principle in realization of effective participation of stakeholder and obtaining integrated watershed management goals. There are twelve watershed areas surrounding the city of Tehran that their ...
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Consciousness of preventing factors affecting on stakeholder participation in watershed areas' plans is a main principle in realization of effective participation of stakeholder and obtaining integrated watershed management goals. There are twelve watershed areas surrounding the city of Tehran that their runoff influence on northern and northeast parts of Tehran. Different factors can prevent stakeholder' participation that they have been classified into economic, social, human and planning indices. Obtained results from prioritizing effective indices on preventing stakeholder' participation in watershed plans based on obtained weights from Fuzzy-AHP method and questionary data obtained from Administration of Natural Resources and Watershed Management and its branches indicate that economic and human indices have respectively maximum and minimum priorities, in the manner that prioritization of indices based on normalized weights from maximum to minimum importance are economic, planning, social and finally human, respectively. In this research, preventing sub-indices affecting on stakeholder' participation in watershed area´s plans were created based on library studies, expert ideas and also interviewing with 240 residences and finally the validity of questionary was verified based on expert ideas. Obtained results with ranking sub-indices based on the Friedman test show that sub-indices have different roles in preventing stakeholder' participation in watershed plans, in the manner that “ignoring people´s income as a direct economic motivation” with mean rank of 10.77 and “being low literacy and knowledge” with mean rank of 1.80 have a maximum and minimum of mean rank, respectively. In this research, sub-indices of “ignoring people´s income as a direct economic motivation” from economic index, “concentration of decision making power in center” from planning index, “shortage of trust to project results” from social index and finally “shortage of education of watershed residents about plants and their purposes” from human index were ranked as the most important sub-indices.
