Interrelations of vegetation growth and water scarcity in Iran revealed by satellite time series.

ABSTRACT: Iran has experienced a drastic increase in water scarcity in the last decades. The main driver has been the substantial unsustainable water consumption of the agricultural sector. This study quantifies the spatiotemporal dynamics of Iran's hydrometeorological water availability, land cover, and vegetation growth and evaluates their interrelations with a special focus on agricultural vegetation developments. It analyzes globally available reanalysis climate data and satellite time series data and products, allowing a country-wide investigation of recent 20+ years at detailed spatial and temporal scales. The results reveal a wide-spread agricultural expansion (27,000 km[Formula: see text]) and a significant cultivation intensification (48,000 km[Formula: see text]). At the same time, we obse

SUBMITTER: Behling R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9715656 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature