A geographical study of agricultural Landuse planning and development in Jiroft watershed, Iran

Abstract

Agriculture is one of the most important economic sectors in Iran. It contributes twenty percent of national income (GDP) involving 23.4 percent of total employment, 80 per cent of domestic food requirements and more than one-third of non-oil exports. Agriculture is also major occupation employing 70 percent of total population in rural areas and is still continue as main source of livelihood of human being inspite of growing industrialization and urbanization. Agriculture is an outcome of the combination of both physical and socio-economic factors. The significance of agriculture is therefore indeed unique and wide ranging. Iran has always pursued food security by providing adequate and safe food for all, as a major priority. In this respect, the Third Five Year Development Plain has given priority on the improvement of food security through enhancing domestic production. Even then, the process of agricultural growth has not been properly channelized due to imbalance allocation of resources, unavailability of basic infrastructure and uneven and uncertain rainfall. The present investigation has an attempt to study the agriculture landuse and planning of Jiroft watershed in Kerman Province. The region has not been so far studied from agriculture landuse planning point of view. This treatise further makes an indepth study of both general and agricultural landuse in Jiroft watershed and identifies related problems for better landuse study and planning.