Assessing intensity and risk of desertification and management programs (Case study: Ghasemabad plain of Bajestan, Khorasan Razavi Province)

Desertification is a serious threat to the environment and risk assessment as a strategic tool, allows planning and management to reduce its risk in different time periods. The aim of this study was assessing desertification hazard and risk management programs in the desert plains of Qasemabad in Bajestan located in Khorasan Razavi province. The assessment of desertification hazard was done by the Iranian version of IMDPA. The desertification risk was evaluated on the basis of desertification hazard map, risk and vulnerability of the environmental elements. The results showed that the risk of desertification with the IMPDA is moderate 22.25 % and severe 77.75 %, respectively. And the factors such as soil erosion, vegetation, groundwater criteria with a weighted average of 3.57, 3.24, 3.3, 2.87, had the greatest impact respectively on the intensity of desertification in the study area. The results also showed that about 52 % of the area in the eastern and east northern parts, was ranked at the rate of high and very high risk. The management plans, strategies and prevention measures such as planting and crop cultivation as well as controlling activities such as increasing vegetation cover, especially with the plants resistant to drought and salinity conditions and in some cases preserving the current condition have the highest importance in terms of desertification risk management.