Quantitative Assessment of Environmental Sensitivity to Desertification Using the Modified MEDALUS Model in a Semiarid Area

Sayed Fakhreddin Afzali, Ali Khanamani, Ehsan Kamali Maskooni and Ronny Berndtsson
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Sayed Fakhreddin Afzali: Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Engineering, School of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz 71441-65186, Iran
Ali Khanamani: Department of Management the Arid & Desert Regions, College of Natural Resources & Desert, Yazd University, Yazd 89158-18411, Iran
Ehsan Kamali Maskooni: Young Researcher and Elite Club, Jiroft Branch, Islamic Azad University, Jiroft 76178-14815, Iran
Ronny Berndtsson: Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies, Division of Water Resources Engineering, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 14, 1-19

Abstract: Iran is mainly located in the arid and semiarid climate zone and seriously affected by desertification. This is a severe environmental problem, which results in a persistent loss of ecosystem services that are fundamental to sustaining life. Process understanding of this phenomenon through the evaluation of important drivers is, however, a challenging work. The main purpose of this study was to perform a quantitative evaluation of the current desertification status in the Segzi Plain, Isfahan Province, Iran, through the modified Mediterranean Desertification and Land Use (MEDALUS) model and GIS. In this regard, five main indicators including soil, groundwater, vegetation cover, climate, and erosion were selected for estimating the environmental sensitivity to desertification. Each of these qualitative indicators is driven by human interference and climate. After statistical analysis and a normality test for each indicator data, spatial distribution maps were established. Then, the maps were scored in the MEDALUS approach, and the current desertification status in the study area from the geometric mean of all five quality indicators was created. Based on the results of the modified MEDALUS model, about 23.5% of the total area can be classified as high risk to desertification and 76.5% classified as very high risk to desertification. The results indicate that climate, vegetation, and groundwater quality are the most important drivers for desertification in the study area. Erosion (wind and water) and soil indices have minimal importance.

Keywords: MEDALUS; land degradation; desertification; spatial analysis; ESA; Segzi plain (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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