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Potential anthropogenic and climatic factors affecting Iran’s international wetlands

Author

Listed:
  • Ehsan Rahimi

    (Shahid Beheshti University)

  • Mojtaba Jahandideh

    (The Conservation of Iranian Wetlands Project)

  • Pinliang Dong

    (University of North Texas)

  • Faraham Ahmadzadeh

    (Environmental Sciences Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University)

Abstract

Human development has reached more than 80% of the earth’s surface and in Iran has had devastating effects on aquatic ecosystems such as wetlands. In addition to human development, climate change is also an important factor that threatens the health of Iran’s wetlands. Very few studies have examined the major threats to Iran’s international wetlands, and it is not clear to what extent these wetlands are affected by anthropogenic and climatic pressures. Therefore, determining how vulnerable these ecosystems are to human development and climate change can help us better manage and restore them. In this regard, this study is aimed at measuring the changes in water bodies of 24 international wetlands when comparing late summer 2000 and 2020 using Landsat images. Next, we calculate the upstream dams’ water bodies and discover the long-term trend of precipitation and temperature changes around the wetlands. Our results show that nine wetlands, most of which were marine and estuarine, increased in area between 2000 and 2020. However, eleven wetlands experienced a 1.0–53.5% decrease in their water area by 2020. Our findings suggest that climate change can be a significant factor affecting some of the wetlands studied. Conversely, certain wetlands have experienced a rising trend in precipitation between 2000 and 2020, making it challenging to link the decline in their water levels to climate change. Nevertheless, for seven of the wetlands, we observe an increase in the water areas of upstream dams between 2000 and 2020 and find no strong evidence for climate change effects. Therefore, the construction of dams upstream may be the primary reason for the drying of these wetlands, and in this case, more of a threat than climate change.

Suggested Citation

  • Ehsan Rahimi & Mojtaba Jahandideh & Pinliang Dong & Faraham Ahmadzadeh, 2023. "Potential anthropogenic and climatic factors affecting Iran’s international wetlands," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 13(4), pages 557-574, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jenvss:v:13:y:2023:i:4:d:10.1007_s13412-023-00846-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s13412-023-00846-5
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Oscar Venter & Eric W. Sanderson & Ainhoa Magrach & James R. Allan & Jutta Beher & Kendall R. Jones & Hugh P. Possingham & William F. Laurance & Peter Wood & Balázs M. Fekete & Marc A. Levy & James E., 2016. "Sixteen years of change in the global terrestrial human footprint and implications for biodiversity conservation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-11, November.
    2. Ehsan Rahimi & Pinliang Dong, 2022. "What are the main human pressures affecting Iran’s protected areas?," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 12(4), pages 682-691, December.
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    4. Ehsan Rahimi & Pinliang Dong, 2023. "Identifying barriers and pinch-points of large mammal corridors in Iran," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 13(2), pages 285-297, June.
    5. Hui Wang & Changchun Song & Kaishan Song, 2020. "Regional Ecological Risk Assessment of Wetlands in the Sanjiang Plain with Respect to Human Disturbance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-19, March.
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