Evaluating the effectiveness of watershed projects on vegetation using ETM+ satellite images and Sentinel 2A sensor (case study of Hossein Abad Jiroft watershed)

Watershed projects are one of the most important executive activities to improve and restore pastures and watersheds. These activities are carried out in the context of the restoration of watersheds in order to increase the power of ecosystems and to increase the production and services of ecosystems. Increased in vegetation leads to an increase in carbon sequestration in the soil. Therefore, the evaluation of the effectiveness of watershed projects can therefore justify the allocation of the necessary funds for studies and field activities by policy makers and planners. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of watershed management projects in the Hossein Abad Jiroft area in terms of vegetation management. Landsat TM+ and Sentinel 2A satellite images were used in this study for the years 2010 and 2020. In this study, NDVI, RVI, DVI, and SAVI indices were used to highlight changes in vegetation over the 10-year period. The results show that the amount of vegetation indices has almost doubled after a 10-year period, indicating that watershed projects have been effective in increasing vegetation.