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