Journal of Arid Regions Geographic Studies

Journal of Arid Regions Geographic Studies

Assessment of the ecological potential for sustainable territorial development (Case study: Jajroud watershed)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Hossein Hataminejad 1
Fateme Mohebi 2
Amirhossein Kazem 3
1 Department of Human Geography and Planning, Faculty of Geography, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
2 Department of Human Geography and Planning, Faculty of Geography, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
3 Department of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System, Faculty of Environment, Azad University/Science and Research Unit, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/jargs.2023.422565.1068
Abstract
Aim:The rapid urbanization in our country has disrupted the natural balance, necessitating immediate attention from planners and decision-makers. This research aims to assess the natural potential of the Jajrood watershed for urban, rural, and industrial development, providing crucial insights for sustainable planning.
Material & Method: Due to the importance of the topic, in this research, using the main criteria and indicators for evaluating the ecological potential and taking into account the limitations by applying the VIKOR decision-making model, the aptitude and ability of the lands of the Jajrood watershed for the sustainable development of population centers have been evaluated. First, data was collected according to the objectives and method of the research. Then, all the collected data, including elevation maps, soil type, land type, vegetation, waterways, and main faults, were extracted and prepared to be evaluated in the next steps. Finally, the degree of desirability of each map pixel was determined for urban, rural, and industrial development. 
Finding: Considering the overall results obtained from the evaluation of ecological and per capita water criteria in the region, and taking into account the existing limitations (water quantity, fault and river boundaries), it can be concluded that the cities of Pardis, Bumehan, Damavand, and Lavasan have more suitable conditions and fewer limitations for future development.
Conclusion: The assessment of natural criteria has revealed that several settlements in the Jajrud watershed, including the cities of Fesham, Migun, and Ahar, are situated in areas unsuitable for development due to ecological weakness and vulnerability to natural hazards. These findings underscore the need for strategic planning and development in the region. 
Innovation: The assessment of environmental potential, along with its possible limitations and risks, in the Jajrood watershed, a growing region with a special natural, economic, and communication situation, is considered an innovation of future research.
Keywords
Ecological capacity
Sustainable land development
Multi-criteria assessment
Jajrud watershed

Subjects

Extended Abstract 
1. Introduction
The well-being and comfort of humans depend on the strength of the ecosystems that benefit from it. Rapid urbanization has become one of the defining characteristics of human social progress, and the intensification of land use and rapid changes in land use have threatened the environment of countries. In recent years, global climate change and increased human land development activities have increased negative ecosystem effects and loss of natural resources. One way to achieve sustainability goals in the land use planning framework is to consider ecological aspects of planning and organizing land use in line with the goals of sustainable development. The recent trend of urban development and rapid changes in natural land use have led to the loss of living and non-living natural resources in the ecosystem of these areas, which have changed their biological, chemical, and physical characteristics. The ever-increasing growth of the urban population in Iran, especially after 1976, has caused the balance between the urban networks and its natural pattern to be disrupted, which has reduced the quality and health of the ecological systems that the life of the city depends on. In this way, there have been many disturbances between the population and the resources, and it is necessary to pay attention to the planners and decision-makers regarding the most appropriate uses and basic methods of land use in land exploitation plans. Paying attention to the importante of the subject, in this research, considering the main criteria and indicators for evaluating the ecological potential, considering the natural limitations and capabilities, and applying the Vikor decision-making model, the aptitude and ability of the lands of this Jajrood Watershed for development We have evaluated the stability of population centers.
2. Materials and methods
Determining goals and putting forward strategies to achieve the desired goals are key elements in a planning process, and land evaluation and selection for various activities require a set of criteria and indicators. Therefore, in this study, effective criteria and indicators were determined in the first step of evaluating the ecological capacity of the watershed for urban and rural development.  The Minister of Criteria formed the decision-making matrix, including criteria, after determining the suitable criteria for the region. After that, the team developed fuzzy membership functions to normalize the numerical values of each map. In order to evaluate the ecological potential in the Jajrud watershed, the team first collected all the information. Then, it categorized the layers needed to evaluate each user. The team first collected all the information, including the contour line, soil characteristics, land type, vegetation density, waterway lines, and major faults of the region, to evaluate the ecological potential in the Jajrud watershed. In the next step, Dr. Makhdoom's ecological model for Iran evaluated all the layers related to each use. After fuzzifying the numerical values of each map, the critic method determined appropriate weights for each criterion. Finally, by applying the VICOR multi-criteria decision-making model, the desirability of each pixel of the region map for urban, rural, and industrial development was determined.
3. Results and Discussion
By implementing the VIKOR model and using the obtained weights, the VIKOR index (Q) value was obtained for each option (pixels). Finally, by assigning Q values to each of the relevant points (options) and removing the restrictions of the area in terms of the distance from the fault and the major waterway, the last map of the ecological potential of the Jajrud watershed was obtained. One of the most critical factors in determining the feasibility of developing these uses is the possibility of water supply. Therefore, in the final stage, we investigated the amount of water that the surface and underground water sources of the region can supply after determining the desirability of the Jajrud watershed for urban, rural, and industrial use. These data were obtained from the water and sewage company in Tehran province.
4. Conclusion
Based on the total results obtained and considering the existing limitations in the region (water quantity, fault boundary, and river), we can conclude that Damavand and Lavasan campus cities offer suitable conditions and fewer ecological restrictions for future development.
5. Acknowledgement & Funding
The manuscript did not receive a grant from any organization.
6. Conflict of Interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
The authors declare no conflict of interest. 

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  • Receive Date 28 October 2023
  • Revise Date 09 December 2023
  • Accept Date 10 December 2023
  • Publish Date 21 April 2025