Land management to control sand and dust storm sources – case study: The dust hotspot of south-eastern Ahvaz, Iran

Sand and dust storms cause damages to infrastructure, human society, and the environment. The methods used to control wind erosion depend on the type of ecosystem and land use. The purpose of this paper is to present the measures taken to control wind erosion in south-eastern Ahvaz (Khuzestan, Iran), which is a hotspot for dust storms. The map of land units was prepared using land resources method using remote sensing and field survey based on land forms and soil properties. The stationary ecological factors such as landform, geology, soils, and plants were surveyed and mapped on a 1:25,000 scale. The variation of dynamic ecological characteristics (climate, water resources) and the socioeconomic resources of lands factors related to dust production were also studied, and attribute table were formed in GIS environment. The ecological capability maps of different land uses including forestry, agriculture, range management, and environmental conservation were developed using Makhdoum’s model by analysis data and overlaying geographical maps in Geographical Information System. Based on the land capability class of each unit, specific dust control projects were identified for implementation. The results of land use showed that 37% of the dust source area is covered by rangelands, 10% by bare land, 11% by dried wetlands, 24% by rainfed, and 13% by farmland. The different control approaches were designed based on the type of land use such as dried wetlands, degraded rangeland, dunefields, and cropland.