Feasibility assessment of the development of desert regions through the economic desertification plans and comprehensive watershed management approach using the world's successful models, Reza Abad pilot project, Biarjomand-Shahroud -Iran

Iran has an area of about 165 million hectares and is located in arid and semi-arid regions. According to the latest data provided by the Natural Resource and Watershed Management Organization, about 110 million hectares of the area of Iran is at risk of desertification. At present, more than 32 million hectares of the country's deserts are more than 32 million hectares, of which over 5.7 million hectares are highly exposed to wind erosion and are considered as dust storm sources. In general, desertification refers to the development in which natural resource areas are confronted with intensification of soil erosion, a reduction of fertility, and exit from the production area. Iran is one of the countries in the world where the desertification rate is high. In order to seriously deal with the phenomenon of desertification and implement desertification plans, desertification activities should be considered as economic activities, while creating a context for the return of investments, it follows the cooperation and participation of the people. A research project was defined and implemented in the Research Institute of Soil Conservation and Watershed Management Research Institute with the aim of applying and developing successful model/models of dealing with desertification and the economic development of desert areas in Iran and the world. In this plan, the most successful models implemented in the world were examined and finally, the economic desertification plan of the Kubuqi desert in Inner Mongolia, which has been successfully implemented in China, was chosen as a model to be examined in some desert of Iran. However, it is not possible to use a single method for all desert areas. Due to the diversity of deserts, including factors of desertification and resource capacity, the use of experience and executive components of successful plans should be customized for the target area. The success of the Kubuqi model, which has been carefully examined in the analysis of management processes, attracts private investors and people’s participation. On the basis of the analysis results, Reza Abad village in Biarjmand city, Shahroud district, Semnan Province was selected as a pilot region to conduct preliminary studies and provide a development model for desert reclamation, which will be discussed in this paper.