Design and Development of Early Warning System for Desertification and Land Degradation

Abstract

Early warning systems are key components of strategies to reduce risk. This research, by adopting a systematic approach in the management of the risk of desertification and by including previously developed models and systems, offers an integrated efficient structure in terms of early warning for the risk of desertification as a pilot system for semi-arid areas of west Golestan Province in IRAN. During recent years, desertification has taken place in the province in different ways. This system is an expert domain which according to security levels and access to data could be utilized in management layers and applications, including: organizations, experts, users and senior executives. In the architecture of the system, data processing, decision-making control panels, and early warning systems are also adaptable to the national scale. The entries in the system, includes: vector, raster, etc. Processing sector is comprised of management and process sections. In the system's output: a variety of tools for the assessment of desertification risk severity, alarming based on various scenarios and reporting, is available. The output data structure is often Vector and Image Service which are evaluated and verified in the system. Lack of a long-term network monitoring, data transmission, lack of interaction between stakeholders and decision makers and lack of communication infrastructure are considered obstacles facing development of integrated early warning systems for desertification in the study area. This system as a unique and fundamental tool in the context of desertification assessment could provide unprecedented assistance to the managers and authors.