Introducing a Common Framework for Effective Socio-Economic Indices
(Poverty & Development) in Desertification Assessment

Ali Akbar Nazari Samani* & Hassan Ahmadi

Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
*Presenting Author: e-mail: aknazari@ut.ac.ir

Abstract

The background of socio-economic consideration in land degradation refers to over past decades, in which almost the all of implemented projects by government or international organization in agricultural and natural resources sections confronted many difficulties to reach their aims. In fact the main reasons of failure of these projects in developing countries (such as Iran), could be categorized in two groups: first the size and number as well as inappropriate implementation and second lack of socio-economic consideration during design of them.

Natural condition and Human have the same effects on land degradation processes. Although so many researches have been carried out to monitor, assess and early warning system as well as methods of combating desertification, agricultural and natural resources have faced to many challenges. Nowadays, globalization causes that the effects of land degradation in a country influence adjusting countries or other countries in other continents. The aim of this paper is to introduce the effective indices of land degradation with emphasis on socio-economic problems. In this regard land degradation process consists of a complex interaction network of physical and environmental as well as social (human) systems. In this net during development the relationship between poverty and privation influence production and income system and consequently cause some disadvantageous effects of physical and environmental resources. Immigration and poverty are the main results of this process. Although different approaches were introduced to describe the relationship between development, poverty and land degradation, to present a quantitative and scientific results we need to numerical measuring, indicator and indices which could present this relationship. Therefore, through considerate the different levels the quantitative factors include: population characteristics, increasing poverty, productivity, legal and legislation, participation and organization, indigenous knowledge. For each indicator some indices propose.

Keywords: Land degradation, Development, Socio-economic, Poverty, Methodology, Assessment