A planning support system for rangeland allocation in Iran with case study of chad egan sub-region

Overgrazing and untimely grazing are common on rangelands in Iran often because of land tenure ambiguities. For the same reason a considerable portion of the rangelands has been converted into farmland for rainfed cereal production. As a result, these rangelands are experiencing land degradation under the increasing pressure to support a growing population of people and livestock. Land tenure reform is perceived as one approach to improving the use and condition of Iranian rangelands. Changes in land tenure involve very complex decision-making that should lead to sustainable use of the land and contribute to the sustainable livelihood of present and future generations. This paper describes a planning support system developed for rangeland allocation in Iran to support the tenure-reform process. The system is composed of three modules: land evaluation module, district planning module and local planning modul