Qualitative and Quantitative Assessment of Water Resources and Agriculture in Sarvestan Sub-basin, the Province of Fars

Desertification, a manifest sign of land degradation is mostly due to unreasonable treatment, and in many cases, over-exploitation of natural resources, mainly soil, and water. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify and introduce the degree of impact of human activities from the perspective of water and land management in the desertification of the Sarvestan Sub-basin. Quantitative and qualitative changes in groundwater, detection of changes in farm field expanses, and the current state of water criteria (indicators: groundwater loss, EC, irrigation systems, SAR), and agricultural criteria (indicators: yield, cultivation pattern, use of inputs and machinery) using the Iranian model, the IMDPA. The water resources of the Sarvestan Sub-basin have decreased in quality (an increase of 2700 µS/m of salinity during the preceding 21 years) and quantity (subsidence of 10 meters of water level in 25 years). The cultivated area has expanded 196% from 1993 to 2016. An application of the IMDPA model indicates that the electrical conductivity index, with a numerical value of 3.4, had the highest effect (extreme condition), and application index of agricultural inputs and machinery with a numerical value of 1.7 had the lowest effect (moderate condition) in the Sarvestan Sub-basin. The water quantity with a numerical value of 2.56 was the dominant criterion, and along with the agriculture criterion, was placed in the moderate class.