In collaboration with Iranian Watershed Management Association

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 M.Sc student, Water Resource Management, Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Sari, Iran

2 Ph.D student, Irrigation and Drainage, Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Sari, Iran

3 Professor, Department of Water Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering, Sari University of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, Sari, Iran

Abstract

Extended abstract
Introduction
Indiscriminate and non-technical extraction of sand and gravel from rivers has brought many adverse morphological and environmental effects. The negative consequences of river materials mining occur under the influence of various factors. Examining the system of exploitation of materials from the river also indicates the existence of many problems in different technical, legal, socio-economic and environmental aspects. In this regard, the present research was carried out with the aim of identifying and prioritizing factors affecting river materials mining and providing optimal river materials mining management indicators.
 
Materials and methods
The watersheds studied in this research include Lake Urmia, Sefidroud and Heraz, Heraz and Qarasu, Kerganrud, Karkhe, Karun and Sefidroud Bozorg. The required information has been obtained through survey-type field research, by conducting face-to-face interviews and using questionnaires. The studied statistical group consists of experts, specialists and experts of regional water companies all over the country. The research tool was a questionnaire whose content validity was obtained by obtaining the opinions of relevant experts and university professors and applying the necessary corrections. Cronbach's alpha coefficient and SPSS software were used for the reliability of the research tool and its figure was equal to 0.811. The items examined in the questionnaire were measured in three main sections, including river characteristics, the status of material harvesting, the evaluation of technical, legal, socio-economic, and environmental indicators of the effects of river material harvesting, and two general sections, including the identification of the main indicators of optimal river material harvesting and the extent of the impact of clause "and" of Note 8 of the 2021 National Budget Law on reducing or increasing the effects of river material harvesting.
 
Results and discussion
The examination of technical factors showed that T3 items (river stability, hydraulic structures and their lifespan) with a frequency of 16.92% and item T5 (changes in the level of underground water in aquifers adjacent to the river) with a frequency of 4.61% are the most important respectively. And they are the least important factor in River materials mining. Among the legal components of item L1 (weakness in providing the necessary infrastructure for the establishment of control laws and regulations) and item L6 (lack of suitable infrastructure for crisis management in times of need) respectively with the frequencies of 18.69% and 8.46% of the first priorities and finally, they have assigned the factors affecting the river materials mining. The results of the study of socio-economic factors affecting the river materials mining showed that item S1 (lack of laws and regulations to control the price and price fluctuations of river materials) with a frequency of 15.38% is the first priority of socio-economic factors affecting the river materials mining and Item S3 (migration process from (to) the region) is the least important factor (6.17%) in river materials mining. On the other hand, item E2 (environmental effects of river materials mining on the water environment of the river (plant and animal community)) is the most important influencing factor in river materials mining with a frequency of 23.08% and item E5 (effect of river materials mining on floodplains) with a frequency of 15 16% is the least important factor among environmental components. Based on experts' point of view, indicators such as appropriate depth of river materials mining, distance of river materials mining from upstream and downstream structures, finding the potential of a suitable river materials mining location, estimating the annual sediment load of rivers, determining suitable river materials mining sizes according to the surplus materials of the river are the most important indicators affecting the optimal river materials mining.
 
Conclusion
The results of the general investigation of legal, technical, socio-economic and environmental factors indicate that the weakness of the legal components is the most effective factor in aggravating the negative consequences caused by the river materials mining. Lack of sufficient and effective supervision at the stage of issuing operating licenses, weakness in providing the infrastructure needed to enact laws and regulations, lack of price control laws and regulations are the most challenging issues among the criteria. Therefore, creating laws without parallel work, placing the regional water company in charge of all stages of issuing operating licenses, and establishing strict rules in dealing with violators and continuous monitoring of river materials mining operations can reduce the damages caused by the river materials mining in technical, socio-economic and environmental sectors also reduce.
 

Keywords

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