Land Use Changes, Fragmentation in Rural Areas and Natural Resources

The global consensus had shifted towards the view that environmental conservation was not in conflict with development. Increasing population has posed insurmountable challenges to agriculture in the provision of future food security, particularly in the regions where biophysical conditions are not well-suited for agriculture such as Iran that has long been in the quest for food self-sufficiency, however, the capability of its land and water resources to realize this goal is largely unknown. Nowadays observe a huge amount in changing land use patterns in natural resources and rural areas toward establishing vacation homes (second houses), touristy restaurants and hotels, recreational centers etc. in them that caused destroying these unique valuable lands and great threats for sustainable development in Iran. In most places of Iran the acreage of productive lands is limited and balancing food security and economic development are two important and critical goals for policy makers and governmental authorities. Sustainable land management is essential to meeting the global challenge of securing soil and water resources that can support an ever increasing population.