Estimation of Recreational Carrying Capacity of Kani Mamatekeh Watershed Park in Sanandaj

Man is regarded a major source of adverse impacts on nature; a fundamental strategy in tourism should, therefore, be the control of tourist behavior at natural sites. The carrying capacity of a promenade and its use should be proportional to its ecological capacity; otherwise, destruction will result. Estimation of the carrying capacity of natural recreational sites allows planners to know the permissible number of tourists that can enter any recreational resort. This estimate will serve as a measure of preventing decline in the natural capacity of ecosystems and a means of providing desirable tourism services to visitors in a sustainable manner. In order to attain and maintain the appropriate carrying capacity, certain principles should be observed and necessary corrective and protective measures taken. These include restoration of vegetation as well as water and soil conservation, among others, that should be placed at the top of tourism planning of a given resort. In the present study, the recreational carrying capacity of Kani Mamatekeh in Sanandaj watershed park was determined. According to the results obtained, the physical carrying capacity within the recreational site was 19272 visitors per day and 7034280 people per year while the daily and annual real carrying capacities of the region across the intensive recreation area were 2767 and 431186, respectively. It was also found that the physical carrying capacity would reduce by as much as 86% if the ecological constraints in the watershed park including number of rainy days, number of frosty days, bioclimatic conditions of the region, and the mating seasons for the wildlife were considered.