DESERTIFICATION ASSESSMENT USING THE ANALYTIC HIERARCHY PROCESS AND GIS IN SOUTHEAST IRAN

Studying the factors influencing desertification progress of a region and its resulting zoning can be effective in helping to reduce the damage of this phenomenon. This study attempted to investigate the factors influencing desertification progress; hence, it proceeded to zone Sistan and Baluchestan Province using three analytic hierarchy processes, Expert Choice software and a geographic information system. First, factors affecting desertification progress were checked and they were then used to determine the most important aspects in order of priority as follows: climatic elements (temperature, evaporation, wind, precipitation and humidity), morphology (topography and slope) and human factors (land cover). Then, a zoning map of desertification‐prone lands was prepared. The results showed that, in terms of hazard progress of these lands, there were five desertification hazard regions in Sistan and Baluchestan Province with an area of about 187 502 km² and high hazard regions covering approximately 29.2% of the province were located in the north of the province. High hazard regions with an approximate area of 3.20% of the total area of the province were mostly located in Saravan, Khash, and the surrounding areas; medium hazard regions with an approximate area of 19.6% were in Iranshahr and the southeastern part of the province; low hazard regions with an area of about 18.2% were in the southern parts of the province; and very low hazard regions with an approximate area of 12.7% were in Nikshahr and the southern parts of the province.