Iran’s Dam Waterbodies: A 10-Year Trend Analysis (2013–2023)
Previous studies have shown instances where aquatic ecosystems in Iran have experienced water loss even in the absence of upstream dams, while other ecosystems with upstream dams did not show significant declines in water levels. Thus, attributing the drying of these ecosystems solely to climate cha...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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2025-05-01
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| Series: | Journal of Landscape Ecology |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.2478/jlecol-2025-0006 |
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| author | Rahimi Ehsan Dong Pinliang Ahmadzadeh Faraham |
| author_facet | Rahimi Ehsan Dong Pinliang Ahmadzadeh Faraham |
| author_sort | Rahimi Ehsan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Previous studies have shown instances where aquatic ecosystems in Iran have experienced water loss even in the absence of upstream dams, while other ecosystems with upstream dams did not show significant declines in water levels. Thus, attributing the drying of these ecosystems solely to climate change in the watershed is not definitive, especially when water levels behind dams have increased while wetlands’ water volumes decreased due to water diversion. This complexity underscores the challenge of linking the decline of aquatic ecosystems exclusively to climate change, as reduced rainfall would naturally lead to decreased water levels behind dams as well. This study addresses this complex issue by analyzing 60 water bodies behind dams across various regions of Iran from 2013 to 2023, using Landsat 8 satellite images and the AWEIsh water index. We employed linear regression to detect surface change trends during this period. Our findings revealed statistically significant (P-value < 0.05) trends in 13 out of the 60 water bodies, with four showing an increasing trend in water levels, indicating diverse precipitation patterns across Iran rather than a uniform decline. Among these, nine dams with significant trends experienced decreased water levels, reflecting reduced upstream rainfall in their watersheds over the past decade. This supports existing research highlighting climate change’s impact on Iran’s water resources. Despite highlighting the impact of declining precipitation and increasing temperatures in certain regions, our study also reveals that certain areas in Iran have not faced such severe conditions. In fact, some regions have seen a notable increase in dam water levels over the past decade. This study emphasizes the importance of an impartial assessment of Iran’s water reserves, free from preconceived notions from previous studies. Such an objective evaluation is crucial for effective management of Iran’s water resources. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c72e02f623bf439bb4635981d4f1aaa1 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1805-4196 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Sciendo |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Landscape Ecology |
| spelling | doaj-art-c72e02f623bf439bb4635981d4f1aaa12025-08-20T03:27:36ZengSciendoJournal of Landscape Ecology1805-41962025-05-0118110111310.2478/jlecol-2025-0006Iran’s Dam Waterbodies: A 10-Year Trend Analysis (2013–2023)Rahimi Ehsan0Dong Pinliang1Ahmadzadeh Faraham21Environmental Sciences Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran, phone: +9893790331492Department of Geography and the Environment, University of North Texas, Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. USA3Environmental Sciences Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, IranPrevious studies have shown instances where aquatic ecosystems in Iran have experienced water loss even in the absence of upstream dams, while other ecosystems with upstream dams did not show significant declines in water levels. Thus, attributing the drying of these ecosystems solely to climate change in the watershed is not definitive, especially when water levels behind dams have increased while wetlands’ water volumes decreased due to water diversion. This complexity underscores the challenge of linking the decline of aquatic ecosystems exclusively to climate change, as reduced rainfall would naturally lead to decreased water levels behind dams as well. This study addresses this complex issue by analyzing 60 water bodies behind dams across various regions of Iran from 2013 to 2023, using Landsat 8 satellite images and the AWEIsh water index. We employed linear regression to detect surface change trends during this period. Our findings revealed statistically significant (P-value < 0.05) trends in 13 out of the 60 water bodies, with four showing an increasing trend in water levels, indicating diverse precipitation patterns across Iran rather than a uniform decline. Among these, nine dams with significant trends experienced decreased water levels, reflecting reduced upstream rainfall in their watersheds over the past decade. This supports existing research highlighting climate change’s impact on Iran’s water resources. Despite highlighting the impact of declining precipitation and increasing temperatures in certain regions, our study also reveals that certain areas in Iran have not faced such severe conditions. In fact, some regions have seen a notable increase in dam water levels over the past decade. This study emphasizes the importance of an impartial assessment of Iran’s water reserves, free from preconceived notions from previous studies. Such an objective evaluation is crucial for effective management of Iran’s water resources.https://doi.org/10.2478/jlecol-2025-0006wetlandsaquatic ecosystemsriversdamsremote sensing |
| spellingShingle | Rahimi Ehsan Dong Pinliang Ahmadzadeh Faraham Iran’s Dam Waterbodies: A 10-Year Trend Analysis (2013–2023) Journal of Landscape Ecology wetlands aquatic ecosystems rivers dams remote sensing |
| title | Iran’s Dam Waterbodies: A 10-Year Trend Analysis (2013–2023) |
| title_full | Iran’s Dam Waterbodies: A 10-Year Trend Analysis (2013–2023) |
| title_fullStr | Iran’s Dam Waterbodies: A 10-Year Trend Analysis (2013–2023) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Iran’s Dam Waterbodies: A 10-Year Trend Analysis (2013–2023) |
| title_short | Iran’s Dam Waterbodies: A 10-Year Trend Analysis (2013–2023) |
| title_sort | iran s dam waterbodies a 10 year trend analysis 2013 2023 |
| topic | wetlands aquatic ecosystems rivers dams remote sensing |
| url | https://doi.org/10.2478/jlecol-2025-0006 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rahimiehsan iransdamwaterbodiesa10yeartrendanalysis20132023 AT dongpinliang iransdamwaterbodiesa10yeartrendanalysis20132023 AT ahmadzadehfaraham iransdamwaterbodiesa10yeartrendanalysis20132023 |