Investigating the Role of Solar Energy in Protection and Revitalization of Pastures in Dry Region

Perhaps one of the great causes of migrations of Aryan tribes, five thousand years ago, from the territory of northern Asia, Iran, India and Europe which caused great changes in human life and civilizations was to reach new pastures. Since human food supply is mainly from agriculture and animal husbandry, and water resources, land, livestock and pasture are limited, providing food products from these resources needs proper use and scientific attention to these resources and to maximize the utilization and maintenance of them. Natural resources have an important status in social and economic development of the world. Unfortunately, in many countries especially in developing countries, increasing population, rapid urbanization, lack of knowledge about importance of natural resources along with inappropriate planning resulted in rapid degradation of forests and rangelands.Rural energy is generally recognized as an important element of rural socio-economic development, not as an end in itself, but through the demand for the services made possible through energy inputs, such as potable water pumping, extension of the day by lighting and cooking. As a general trend, an increasing energy demand-both in quantity and quality is highly correlated with socio-economic development. Yet, the rural populations of many developing countries have been excluded from most of the benefits of economic development and the transition to better (quality) energy services. Renewable energy is considered to be a basis for sustainable energy supply systems. Population growth, key incidents and movements in the development of sustainable energy technology, different available forms of renewable energies and today's economic crisis have led to the introduction of renewable energy as a clean option that can have major rules in our common future. The main purpose of this study was assessing the role of solar energy in protecting pastures in dry region (Case Study of the South Khorasan Province), and the specific goals are:1-Assessing the tendency and satisfaction with solar energy2-Identifying the rural attributes in order to protect pasturage and extension using solar power3-Assessing the information of rural people about the importance of pasturage, solar energy and the Carbon Sequestration Project