Prioritization of the Areas for Controlling the Soil Erosion Using MCE & GIS Techniques Case: Vazroud Watershed, Mazandaran

Prioritization is an important consideration for planning of natural resources management, and allowing decision makers to implement management strategies that are more sustainable in the long-term. However, only the current erosion status or a relative index cannot exactly identify priority area for conservation. The objective of this research is to identify conservation priorities by a specific multi-criteria evaluation method in Vazroud watershed, Mazandaran Province. The changes trend of erosion risk indicate the regions with increasing erosion risk and are also is selected as one of the evaluation criteria to identify the priorities. Zoning the Soil erosion risk obtained for both 2000 and 2010 images based on Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and divided into six classes: slight, light, moderate, sever, very sever and extremely sever. Trend of erosion risk were obtained by comparing the results of erosion risk between 2000 and 2010 and Multi-criteria evaluation method. Two levels with the highest priority include the regions with severe erosion or a substantial recent increase in erosion risk (1588.32 ha, or 11.31% of the total of study area), and recommended as erosion control regions with appropriate conservation strategies. The middle two levels cover the regions with stable erosion status or slight change, required only minor controls.