A Comparison of Land Degradation Risk Using the RALDE2 Proposed Model in Two Townships with Different Climates in the Khuzestan Province

The present research attempts to develop a new model. This model considers various indicators with different aspects or criteria of land degradation and desertification, namely natural and human, and trend of degradation for finding areas with higher rate of degradation, and measuring the probability of its occurrence of worse case in these areas. Two areas in the northeast (Masjed Soleiman) and southeast (Omidieh) of the Khuzestan Province were selected as the study areas. These two areas were selected because of their differences in the climatic conditions. The final land degradation risk map was produced by overlaying all three natural, human and trend of degradation types compared with the present state of degradation using the GIS software. Furthermore, the areas under risk were classified to subclasses with different levels of probability level to show a statistical picture of risk in the future. In this method the percentage of the risk probability is evaluated according to the trend and potential of degradation and the emphasis was on the trend of degradation against its potential. More over, the proposed model is named Risk Assessment of Land Degradation (RALDE). A comparison of risk assessment in both areas based on the weighted average indicates that the risk of degradation in the human, natural, trend, present state and finally in land degradation risk in the Omidieh zone (all factors with a weighted average of more than 2.5) with an arid and warm climate is more hazardous than that of the Masjed Soleiman zone (only two factors natural & current status with a weighted average more than 2.5) with a semi humid and moderate climate. This study indicated that the arid and warm climate of Khuzestan Province is more conducive to land degradation.