Desert Management

Desert Management

A Quantitative Assessment of The Impacts of Agricultural Development, With A Focus on Food Security and Desertification Risk in The Balajam Plain of Torbat Jam County, Khorasan Razavi Province

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Mostafa Rezvanimoghadam 1
Morteza Akbari 2
Mozhgan Sabet Teimouri 3
Shojaat Zare 4
1 MSc, Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
2 Associate Professor, Department of Desert and Arid Zones Management, Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
3 Assistant Professor, Department of Tourism Management and Planning, ITOR, ACECR, Mashhad, Iran.
4 Assistant Professor, Department of Economic, Social and Extension Research, Khorasan Razavi Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Mashhad, Iran
10.22034/jdmal.2024.2037535.1475
Abstract
Desertification poses a significant threat to ecosystems worldwide, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. In recent decades, this issue has been exacerbated by intensified human activities, including agricultural expansion. This study investigates whether agricultural development, while contributing to food security, has simultaneously driven environmental degradation. To address this question, agricultural development was evaluated using key indicators such as crop yield and production, infrastructure investment, institutional development, employment, and mechanization. Desertification intensity was then assessed using the IMDPA model based on climate, soil, land use change, and groundwater indicators. The research was conducted in the Balajam Plain of Torbat Jam County, one of the primary agricultural regions in Khorasan Razavi Province, over the period from 2011 to 2021. Results indicate that the region experienced notable progress in agricultural development, including increased employment and income generation. During this period, investments in the agricultural sector rose from 1,560 million rials to 14,800 million rials, and approximately 24. 95 km² of land was levelled and rehabilitated. These efforts led to enhanced production and yield per hectare for key crops, including wheat, barley, sugar beet, and fodder corn. However, findings on desertification revealed concerning trends: 37% of the region fell into the severe desertification category, while 63% was classified as moderate. The primary drivers of desertification were identified as climatic factors, groundwater depletion, land use changes, and soil quality degradation. These processes have resulted in the degradation of fundamental ecological resources and pose a significant threat to long-term food security in the region.
Keywords
Ecological security
Land degradation
Land use changes
Human activities

Subjects

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Desert Management
Volume 12, Issue 3 - Serial Number 31
6 Article
Autumn 2024
Pages 31-54

  • Receive Date 04 August 2024
  • Revise Date 29 August 2024
  • Accept Date 11 September 2024