Evaluation of Land and Precipitation for Agriculture in Iran

2016
Author(s)
Mohsen Mesgaran
Hossein Hashemi
Pooya Azadi
Evaluation of Land and Precipitation for Agriculture in Iran
Co-authored with Kaveh Madani.
 
Besides the rapid population growth over the past few decades, water scarcity and soil degradation have intensified the challenges faced by the Iranian agriculture sector to ensure food security over the long term. Despite its paramount importance, the extent to which the land and water resources of Iran can meet the nation’s future food demand is not well understood. The capacity of Iran’s land for sustainable agriculture based on the soil properties, topography, and climate conditions relevant to crop production is systematically evaluated. This study quantifies and maps the suitability of Iran’s land resources for cropping and examines if further increase in production can be achieved through agriculture expansion or the redistribution of cropping areas.
 
Mohsen Mesgaran is a researcher for the Stanford Iran 2040 Project.
Hossein Hashemi is a visiting scholar with the Department of Geophysics.
Pooya Azadi is leading the efforts of the Stanford Iran 2040 Project.