Strategies for Reducing Environmental Vulnerability(Case Study: Zabol City)

The purpose of this study is to provide solutions to reduce environmental vulnerability in Zabol. For this purpose, after full introduction of Zabol city geographically, socially, culturally, economically and environmentally, 30 questionnaires were prepared and distributed among professors, PhD students and postgraduate students in environmental engineering and used in statistical analysis. External and internal factors evaluation matrix was used to evaluate environmental factors and SWOT analysis was used to determine appropriate solutions to reduce the 120-day wind damage. Results show that filing a complaint with the international community to halt the dam project on Hirmand in Afghanistan is the most important strategy to reduce vulnerability of Zabul City to the microdust phenomenon in order to promote national security. Subsequently, providing special facilities for farmers in Zabul and Sistan and Baluchestan province to use wasteland for agriculture, creating protected areas, banning cattle herding in the area prone to desertification on the western edge of the city, efficient drip irrigation technology and construction of settlements off the sand displacement path are among the key strategies to counteract this phenomenon and reduce environmental vulnerability. Also, to deal with environmental damage in Zabol city, in this study 20 strengths, 30 weaknesses, 20 opportunities and 30 threats were identified for the environmental situation. Accordingly, the environmental status of Zabul city in the defensive zone whilst facing dust storms was determined using the SWOT method and a set of appropriate environmental strategies with a defensive approach was presented.