Spatial Analysis of Effects of Moving Sands in Rural Areas of Hirmand Township

In recent years¡ reduction or cease of water flow of Hirmand river to Sistan¡ caused successive droughts¡ drying Hamun wetland¡ exacerbating dryness of environment¡ decreasing plant covering and increasing soil erosion. These factors along with winds of 120 days¡ provide a proper condition for increasing dust storms and moving sands to rural areas of Hirmand township. These phenomena impose various challenges to the economic¡ social¡ environmental and physical-spatial aspects of villages in this township. On this basis¡ the purpose of present research is to survey on the effects of moving sands in rural areas of Hirmand township. The research method is descriptive - analytical and based on documentary sources¡ field study and questionnaire completion. For data analysis¡ analytic hierarchy Process (AHP)¡ statistical analyses and spatial analyses were used. In this regard¡ various softwares of Expert Choice¡ SPSS and ArcGIS were applied. The research findings illustrate that 18.5 percent of villages in Hirmand township ( 56 villages) show effects of moving sands. The intensity of the effects is different in these Villages. Among these villages¡ 14.29% of villages with much influence and other villages show too much influence. Villages with much or too much influence mainly are in the northern and southeastern parts of the study area. Also all evacuated villages are located in the northern part of this area. According to calculations¡ 42.71% of the villages with effects of moving sands have had negative rates of population growth in the past decade. Research findings confirm that the position of villages regard to Hamoon wetland affects the intensity of effects of moving sands in these villages. On the other hand¡ population depletion or population decline in many of the villages around the dried bed of Hamoon wetland shows a critical condition at these rural areas.