Home-Grown Technologies to Save Dry Lands in Iran

TEHRAN (ANA)- With over 100 million hectares of land exposed to desertification, Iran is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world, and to deal with this crisis, it has turned to the development of knowledge-based and indigenous technologies from the production of biological mulches and the restoration of aqueducts to seed-spreading drones and intelligent drought monitoring systems.

News ID : 9207

In Iran, due to the expansion of desert areas and chronic drought, researchers, knowledge-based companies, and government institutions have developed various technologies for desertification.

A number of the most important indigenized technologies in the field of desertification in Iran are as follows:

. Non-oil mulch technology (biocompatible)

The production of plant and polymer mulch to replace oil mulch by the National Institute of Genetic Engineering, the Forestry Organization, and knowledge-based companies is one of the desertification technologies that has features such as reducing environmental pollution, stabilizing soil, and reducing dust.

Also, plant mulch was produced by researchers at Yazd University and Ferdowsi University of Mashhad.

. Planting drought-resistant species with genetic engineering

Research on the cultivation of drought-resistant species with desertification goals is on the agenda of researchers in the country, and in this regard, extensive seedling planting projects have been implemented in the provinces of Khuzestan, Kerman, Sistan and Balouchestan, and Semnan.

The creation of a gene bank for drought-resistant plants at the Iranian Natural Resources Research Center is another of these measures.

. Stabilizing fast-moving sands with indigenous technologies

Using living windbreaks by planting local trees such as sycamore and beech, and designing and installing artificial windbreaks on roads and around cities exposed to dust are other technologies developed in the country.

Implementing mechanical desertification projects in the southeast of the country is one of these examples.

. Intelligent drought and vegetation monitoring systems

Developing systems based on GIS and satellite images to monitor desertification is another achievement of the country's technologists. For this purpose, the Meteorological Organization and the Natural Resources Research Center have launched the "National Drought Monitoring System".

Using remote sensing to predict critical desert areas is another technology developed in the country for this purpose.

. New irrigation technologies and aqueduct restoration

Designing low-pressure and smart irrigation systems in dry areas is another technology developed in the country with the aim of desertification. Reconstruction and restoration of thousands of aqueducts in desert provinces with the help of geotechnical technology is an example of the announced projects in this area.

Installing moisture sensors and smart agricultural applications for better management of water resources are other technological approaches of the country to combat drought.

. Biochar and saline soil improvement with Iranian methods

Pilot projects using biochar to increase moisture retention in the soil in order to reduce the size of the desert in the country.

Using symbiotic fungi (mycorrhiza) to increase the resistance of desert plants is another field of extensive research by the country's technologists at the Iranian Soil and Water Research Institute.

. Drones for seeding and planting

The initial test of using drones for seeding in inaccessible areas by some environmental startups is another technological solution for the country to adapt to drought conditions. In this regard, cooperation is underway between Sharif, Tarbiat Modares and Yazd Universities of Technology with the Ministry of Agricultural Jihad to develop this technology

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