Drying Lakes in Iran: A Growing Threat to Human Settlements and Potential

Hajipour, Mohammad; Amirabadizadeh, Seyedeh Malihe; Sadeghi, Hossein

doi:10.22111/jneh.2024.47850.2025

Drying Lakes in Iran: A Growing Threat to Human Settlements and Potential

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

¹ Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran

² Master's student, Department of Geography, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran

10.22111/jneh.2024.47850.2025

Abstract

Currently, with the increase in aridity due to drought and climate change on the one hand, and the inefficiency of resource management on the other, we are witnessing a decrease in the water level of lakes or the complete desiccation of some lakes in Iran. Certainly, the weakening or destruction of this vital element (lakes) in the country's ecosystem will lead to the emergence of problems and hazards. Therefore, in the present article, an effort has been made to identify the hazards resulting from the drying trend of lakes in Iran and to present appropriate solutions to address these hazards from the perspective of experts (elites). Given the nature of this research, the Q-methodological approach was used to achieve the objectives. First, the changes in the water level of the country's prominent lakes over the past 20 years are reported. Then, through the analysis of document content and interviews with 14 expert specialists, 29 statements related to the hazards resulting from the drying of lakes were identified within 5 mental patterns. Additionally, 22 statements were obtained within 4 mental patterns regarding the appropriate solutions to address the drying of the country's lakes. The result is that the serious decline of the natural foundations in the surrounding ecosystem of the lakes is a consequence of this drying, which can create human-social challenges in the geographic space. Overcoming this situation primarily depends on the adoption of an integrated risk management approach to prevent ecosystem manipulation, continuous monitoring of Lake Desiccation, and the implementation of programs compatible with the human environment among them, we can mention the establishment of neighborhood management headquarters that have a direct relationship with the crisis management headquarters.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Environmental Hazards

References

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