IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/jenvss/v13y2023i4d10.1007_s13412-023-00846-5.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

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
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s13412-023-00846-5
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s13412-023-00846-5?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. 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.
    2. 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.
    3. Mohammad Sharifikia, 2013. "Environmental challenges and drought hazard assessment of Hamoun Desert Lake in Sistan region, Iran, based on the time series of satellite imagery," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 65(1), pages 201-217, January.
    4. 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.
    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.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. 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.
    2. Yue Chen & Kangning Xiong & Xiaodong Ren & Cai Cheng, 2021. "Vulnerability Comparison between Karst and Non-Karst Nature Reserves—With a Special Reference to Guizhou Province, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-12, February.
    3. Samuel Xin Tham Lee & Zachary Amir & Jonathan H. Moore & Kaitlyn M. Gaynor & Matthew Scott Luskin, 2024. "Effects of human disturbances on wildlife behaviour and consequences for predator-prey overlap in Southeast Asia," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    4. Thomas Eichner & Marco Runkel, 2022. "Animal Welfare, Moral Consumers and the Optimal Regulation of Animal Food Production," CESifo Working Paper Series 10149, CESifo.
    5. 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.
    6. Mel B. Wilson & R. Travis Belote, 2022. "The Value of Trail Corridors for Bold Conservation Planning," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-14, February.
    7. Yangyang Gu & Xuning Qiao & Mengjia Xu & Changxin Zou & Dong Liu & Dan Wu & Yan Wang, 2019. "Assessing the Impacts of Urban Expansion on Bundles of Ecosystem Services by Dmsp-Ols Nighttime Light Data," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(21), pages 1-17, October.
    8. A. Rashki & D. Kaskaoutis & P. Eriksson & C. W. Rautenbach & C. Flamant & F. Abdi Vishkaee, 2014. "Spatio-temporal variability of dust aerosols over the Sistan region in Iran based on satellite observations," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 71(1), pages 563-585, March.
    9. Peter Mikula & Oldřich Tomášek & Dušan Romportl & Timothy K. Aikins & Jorge E. Avendaño & Bukola D. A. Braimoh-Azaki & Adams Chaskda & Will Cresswell & Susan J. Cunningham & Svein Dale & Gabriela R. F, 2023. "Bird tolerance to humans in open tropical ecosystems," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    10. Shamik Chakraborty & Ram Avtar & Raveena Raj & Huynh Vuong Thu Minh, 2019. "Village Level Provisioning Ecosystem Services and Their Values to Local Communities in the Peri-Urban Areas of Manila, The Philippines," Land, MDPI, vol. 8(12), pages 1-18, November.
    11. Troxler, David & Zabel, Astrid, 2021. "Clearing forests to make way for a sustainable economy transition in Switzerland," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    12. Xuemei Li & Suisui Chen & Shuhong Wang, 2024. "Economic growth, government efficiency, and biodiversity loss: an international trade perspective," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(12), pages 30901-30927, December.
    13. Reaser, Jamie & Tabor, Gary M. & Becker, Daniel & Muruthi, Philip & Witt, Arne & Woodley, Stephen J. & Ruiz-Aravena, Manuel & Patz, Jonathan Alan MD, MPH & Hickey, Valerie & Hudson, Peter, 2020. "Land use-induced spillover: priority actions for protected and conserved area managers," EcoEvoRxiv bmfhw, Center for Open Science.
    14. Nayak, Rajat & Karanth, Krithi K. & Dutta, Trishna & Defries, Ruth & Karanth, K. Ullas & Vaidyanathan, Srinivas, 2020. "Bits and pieces: Forest fragmentation by linear intrusions in India," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    15. Mariane Paulina Batalha Roque & José Ambrósio Ferreira Neto & André Luiz Lopes Faria, 2022. "Degraded grassland and the conflict of land use in protected areas of hotspot in Brazil," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 1475-1492, January.
    16. Martin Paul Jr. Tabe‐Ojong & Bisrat Haile Gebrekidan & Emmanuel Nshakira‐Rukundo & Jan Börner & Thomas Heckelei, 2022. "COVID‐19 in rural Africa: Food access disruptions, food insecurity and coping strategies in Kenya, Namibia, and Tanzania," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 53(5), pages 719-738, September.
    17. Nan Xia & Manchun Li & Liang Cheng, 2021. "Mapping Impacts of Human Activities from Nighttime Light on Vegetation Cover Changes in Southeast Asia," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-23, February.
    18. Yuhao Lu & Nicholas C Coops, 2018. "Bright lights, big city: Causal effects of population and GDP on urban brightness," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(7), pages 1-15, July.
    19. Jun Harbi & Yukun Cao & Noril Milantara & Gamin & Ade Brian Mustafa & Nathan James Roberts, 2021. "Understanding People−Forest Relationships: A Key Requirement for Appropriate Forest Governance in South Sumatra, Indonesia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-22, June.
    20. Abhik Chakraborty, 2021. "Can tourism contribute to environmentally sustainable development? Arguments from an ecological limits perspective," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(6), pages 8130-8146, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:jenvss:v:13:y:2023:i:4:d:10.1007_s13412-023-00846-5. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.