Proposed policies for integrated watershed management in order to combat desertification in Euphrates and Tigris basin

Abstract

Desertification of the arid and semi-arid lands of the world has been proceeding for more than a thousand years.<br />Human-induced degradation in these areas is regularly cited as one of the principal causes of desertification.<br />Euphrates and Tigris Basin as the case study of this research in some aspects is almost unique in the world. But this<br />basin has been confronted to progressive desertification. This research was done for proposing appropriate policies in<br />terms of main driving forces in order to combat desertification in this basin. So qualitative analyses of data banks of<br />the countries involved in this basin have been collected by FAO consultants, showed desertification in Euphrates and<br />Tigris Basin is characterized by climate factors and human activities; water scarcity and unequal distribution of water<br />are major climate factors. The main human activities are overgrazing of rangelands, deforestation, and land use<br />changes. Because of negative impacts of human activities on climate factors and also deep dependency of livelihood<br />in this basin, there is an urgent need to plan an integrated watershed management in order to managing people, water,<br />forests, and range lands together for combating this progressive desertification.