Document Type : Research Article
Authors
1
Department of Environmental Science, Natural Resources Faculty, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran
2
Department of Environmental Science, Natural Resources Faculty, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
Abstract
Due to the expansion of human activities, various water resource groups in the country, especially in tropical regions, have been subjected to numerous pressures and threats. In the present study, threat drivers and assessment of key pressures affecting rivers, inland wetlands, and coastal-marine wetlands of Khuzestan province were identified using DPSIR model. According to the results, among the threatening drivers, highest priority was assigned to climate change and drought (0.143) and lowest priority was assigned to unbalanced aquaculture development (0.011). The highest sensitivity coefficient was related to Karun river (0.102) and lowest sensitivity coefficient was related to Bondoun wetland (0.014). The intensity coefficient of pressures on water resources showed that highest importance coefficient was related to pressure of "reduction of flows (flood and inflow)" and lowest importance coefficient was related to pressure of "recreation in sensitive time and place". The results showed that Karun river, with a weighting factor of 0.342, shows highest impact of identified pressures. Among coastal-marine wetlands, highest-pressure weighting factor is assigned to Khor Musa (0.0913) due to water source pollution and industrial wastewater disposal, and lowest pressure weighting factor is assigned to Bahmanshir estuarine wetland. Among the inland wetlands, the highest-pressure weighting factor is assigned to Shadegan wetland (0.297). According to the results, the most appropriate responses to control the drivers of threats and pressures from water resources in Khuzestan Province include "developing an adaptive management program", "developing an environmental management program", "developing an integrated ecosystem management program" and "developing a responsible nature tourism program".
Introduction
Water resources are one of the most important natural ecosystems in tropical regions that have long played a significant role in the development of their surrounding communities. Today, in addition to meeting human needs, water resources play an important role in the tourism industry, especially water tourism and water recreational activities. Some of these water resources, such as inland and coastal-marine wetlands, are dynamic habitats that form a vital link between land and water and have major functions for storing and supplying water, protecting beaches, controlling erosion and flooding, natural water purification, a place for spawning and breeding aquatic animals, and a habitat for migratory birds. Rivers are also flowing water resources that play an important role in moderating the climate, meeting the water needs of the habitat, and a place for many aquatic species to live. Despite the importance of various natural water resources in the country, especially in tropical regions, unfortunately, many of these valuable resources have been subjected to numerous pressures and threats due to the expansion of human activities. Excessive exploitation of these water resources for agricultural and aquaculture purposes has led to the drying up and loss of habitat for many species. In addition, the construction of upstream dams, increased types of pollution from wastewater, waste, and oil spills have led to threats and increased threats to these natural ecosystems. The ecological conditions and quality of water resources depend on the characteristics of their surrounding environment, including the type and ratio of land uses, so any excessive and unplanned development leads to threats and damage to these sensitive ecosystems. Therefore, given the importance of water resources in providing ecological and valuable services for human health and other living beings, it is essential to identify and analyze the pressures on these resources and take measures to control these threatening factors. In this regard, Khuzestan Province in southwestern Iran is one of the provinces with extensive biological resources, especially in relation to running water and wetland ecosystems. Due to population growth and the development of human activities, unfortunately, these valuable ecosystems have been affected by numerous threats and pressures, including the construction of dams upstream, water source pollution, and wastewater and waste disposal. Therefore, the present study identified the threat drivers and assessed the key pressures affecting various water source groups (river, inland wetland, and coastal-marine wetland) of Khuzestan Province within the framework of the DPSIR conceptual model.
Material and Methods
In the present study, the DPSIR model was used to identify the drivers of threats and pressures in each of the water resource groups (river, inland wetland, and coastal-marine wetland). This step consists of three stages, in the first stage, the description, systematic analysis, and recognition of the drivers of threats and pressures on the selected water resources were carried out based on the DPSIR model. In the second stage, the identified drivers and pressures were scored in five categories: very high, high, medium, low, and very low in the numerical range of 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9, and finally, in the third stage, the identified pressures were ranked and prioritized. The DPSIR model consists of drivers (D), pressures (P), situations (S), impacts (I), and responses (R), which respectively represent the "drivers," social, demographic, and economic growth activities that lead to changes in system behavior, and "pressures" refer to human-related activities or processes that express the extent of their adverse impacts on the environment. "Status" also refers to changes in ecological integrity, which includes changes in the physical, biological, and chemical conditions of a particular area, in other words, changes in the state of the ecosystem due to pressures on the system. "Impact" refers to human well-being in the socio-economic system, which is affected by changes in the state of environmental conditions, and finally "response" refers to political actions and programs that are guided by institutions, society, and government.
Results and Discussion
As the results showed, the main drivers threatening water resources include climate change and drought, unbalanced water extraction, inappropriate water allocation and water rights, inefficient water quality management, unsustainable agricultural development, unsustainable industrial development, unsustainable urban development, unsustainable infrastructure development, unbalanced extraction of living resources, unauthorized resource extraction, unsustainable water source management, unsustainable tourism development, and unbalanced aquaculture development, which have led to the creation of 35 pressures on selected water resources in the region. According to the results, among the threatening drivers, the highest priority is assigned to climate change and drought (0.143) and the lowest priority is assigned to unbalanced aquaculture development (0.011). Among the water resources, the highest sensitivity coefficient is related to the Karun river (0.102) and the lowest sensitivity coefficient is related to the Bondun wetland (0.014). The intensity coefficient of the pressures imposed on water resources also showed that the highest importance coefficient and the highest rank were related to the pressure of "reducing flows (flood and inflow)", and in contrast, the lowest importance coefficient and the lowest rank were related to the pressure of "recreation in sensitive time and place". The results of examining the probability of the occurrence of pressure imposed on each of the water resources also showed that the Karun river, with a weight coefficient of 0.342, shows the greatest impact of the pressures identified in the region. Also, among the coastal-marine wetlands, the highest-pressure weight coefficient was assigned to Khormousa (0.0913) due to the pressures of water pollution in the basin (upstream), pollution of the water source, and industrial wastewater disposal, and the lowest pressure weight coefficient was assigned to Bahmanshir estuarine wetland. Among the inland wetlands, the highest-pressure weight coefficient was assigned to Shadegan wetland (0.297).
Conclusion
According to the results obtained, in order to control the drivers of threats and pressures arising from water resources in Khuzestan Province, the most appropriate responses in this regard include "developing an adaptive management plan", "developing an environmental management plan", "developing an integrated ecosystem management plan", and "developing a responsible nature tourism plan". Accordingly, controlling these threats requires strategic planning and management strategies in the region. The results of this study can help decision-makers and planners in developing a management plan and taking strategic measures in this province by providing a range of threat drivers and the degree of vulnerability of water resources in Khuzestan province.
Acknowledgements
This article is based on a research project titled "Identifying Strategies for Creating, Enhancing, and Developing Water Tourism in Khuzestan Province," conducted between the Khuzestan Water and Power Organization (Office of Applied Research) and the Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Tehran (Notification No. 984429/1100). The authors also deem it necessary to express their sincere gratitude to Mr. Dr. Baharlouei Bordshahi, the head of the Office of Applied Research, for his valuable assistance.
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