Vulnerability Assessment of Ecosystem Services of Hamoun International Wetland to Climate Change

Sustainable management of wetland ecosystems requires knowledge of the process of ecological, hydrological, economic and social changes of the wetland against environmental and human threats. In this research, the trend of changes and homogeneities of climatic variables of temperature and precipitation was investigated using homogeneity tests for the years 1984-2020 and their interaction with the amount of ecosystem services, threats and vulnerability of Hamoun International Wetland was evaluated; and management strategies were presented to reduce vulnerability. The homogeneity tests result showed that the climate has become dryer during 1984-2020 in Sistan region, so that the minimum and maximum temperatures have increased by 1.8°C and 0.95°C respectively, while precipitation has decreased by 27 mm (47%) over the years 1999 to 2020. which has impacted greatly ecosystem services in the Sistan region. Results of vulnerability assessment of the Hamoun wetlands according to Stratford et al., 2011 method, showed that climate change and drought, provision of wetland water rights, construction of dams and diversion of the water path in the upstream basin of the wetland, livestock and car traffic in the wetland are the most important threats to the wetlands, which severely affect biodiversity services. , wildlife habitat, water conservation, fishing and animal husbandry, research, international value and the wetland's biosphere have suffered a crisis and damage. Diplomatic effort to secure the water right of the wetland is the most important management solution to reduce the vulnerability of the wetland.