One of the distinctive features of our Iran is the lack of water, which has affected the natural environment and economic-social structure. Indiscriminate exploitation of water sources and inefficient traditional irrigation systems have made the society face the challenge of water supply. Excessive extraction of underground water has caused a drop in the water level in the alluvial aquifers and caused the water resources in hard formations to be taken into consideration. Therefore, karst water sources have gained special importance in many regions in recent years. In this regard, karst water resources have gained special importance in many regions in recent years. This research was conducted with the aim is investigating the quality of water resources in the karstic formation in Fars NAMDAN Desert. The research data consists of meteorological, hydrological, topographic and geological maps and statistics. In this research, quantitative and qualitative parameters are identified, and then, with ArcGIS software, maps are prepared and their location is examined and analyzed. The results show that in the studied area, magnesium index is between 0.2-6.96 mg/L, sodium between 0.037-3.87 mg/L, potassium (K) between 0.01-0.049 mg/L, total hardness between 77.86-497.4 mg/L. Electrical conductivity is between 208.1-1267.1 µm/cm, pH is between 6.8-8.6, chloride is between 0.15-8.9 mg/L, sulfate is between 0.064-3.2 mg/L and bicarbonate (HCO3) is between 1.8-4.49 mg/L. So the sources of this basin have favorable conditions for drinking water.

The irregular takings of subterranean waters reduce water levels and change their quality. One of the effective parameters in determining the amount of groundwater change is the amount of electrical conductivity of water, so that with uncontrolled removal and reduction of groundwater level, the salinity of water increases, which entails irreparable damage to the animal ecosystem and plant life. In this research, we tried to study the amount of groundwater salinity of NAMDAN plain by determining the spatial analysis of its relationship with the deep and semi-deep wells in the plain. Therefore, the data of 32 observational wells in the plain area using an interpolation method in the GIS environment in order to determine the salinity of groundwater in 5 categories of very high, high, moderate, low and very low in the ten-year statistical period (2001-2010) were used. Then, by combining the information layers for all statistical years, the final decision regarding the determination of the salinity of groundwater was made. Finally, the relationship between the very high and high salinity zones with deep and semi-deep wells was investigated and it was found that among 1311 deep wells in the plain, 433 wells (33.02%) are in very high and high range, while for semi-deep wells it is 66/12%. In this way, it can be concluded that the position of deep wells and their unnecessary harvesting have a huge impact on the salinity of groundwater in the plain.

The Flat and low slope morphology of NAMDAN and its margin springs have made Shadkam River less accessible in the middle parts. Thus the agricultural development in this area is difficult. NAMDAN has a deep alluvial sedimentary basin and the thickness of sediments is predicted about 100 meters. Soil is an important natural resources and its erosion causes the serious vulnerability in social and economic development as well as environmental hazards. In this article, the quality of sedimentation in NAMDAN basin has been evaluated using GIS and MPSIAC model. The first goal of this study is the Zonation of sedimentation in terms of sediment production in studied area and the second is to calculate the quality of sedimentation (QS), total sediment production and their classifieds in the basin. The results of basin zonation are classified in high, medium, and low erosion class. Also, the zonation with high sedimentation from North West to South East of the basin in Shadkam River, where type of lithology and land cover are rivers and waterways, alluvial deposits, silty clay, sand and rubber, is seen.

In this study, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production in 118 hectares and rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) production in 26.8 ha of Dashte NAMDAN Agro-industry farm was evaluated from the energy indices point of view in Eghlid region. This farm was fully mechanized and the required data were collected using person to person interview method and filling out the questionnaires. Equivalent energy inputs and outputs for both products were calculated in this study, and then corresponding energy ratio, energy productivity, and net energy gain were determined for each crop. Inputs were fertilizers, seeds, pesticides, fuel consumption, equipments, labors, and irrigation while grain yield and straw were considered as outputs. Energy ratio obtained for wheat and canola grain were 2.29 and 1.76, respectively while corresponding values related to both grain and straw (total biological outputs) were 6.23 and 3.44, respectively. Energy productiviities were also determined 0.49 and 0.21 kg/MJ for wheat and canola, respectively. Net energy gain for wheat and canola were 41065 and 20914 MJ/ha, respectively. Fertilizers were the highest energy consumer inputs for both crops and fuel and irrigation took the second and third places. Energy consumption related to seed was higher in wheat compared to canola. Since wheat production had the higher energy indices compared to canola in this research, wheat production should be preferred to canola in this farm from the energy balance point of view.

Background and Objectives: Nowadays, in addition to increase in the population growth, decrease in precipitation and surface flows in arid and semi-arid regions of the world, has caused to increase the extraction of groundwater resources and therefore many problems in this valuable and non-renewable resources. In this regard, assessing, monitoring and prediction of the groundwater resources behavior is significant. In this study, a developed numerical simulation model with finite difference solution using MATLAB was applied to evaluate the groundwater elevation changes in a real case. Materials and Methods: The study area is the NAMDAN aquifer located in the Tashk-Bakhtegan basin, Fars province, Iran. The transient finite difference model was developed to assess the groundwater elevation changes. For setting up the model, the study area zoned manually considering the various factors and finally 50 cells were considered. In addition to the groundwater flow interactions between cells, the interactions between boundary cells and inflows and outflows boundaries took account into the modeling. The recharge parameters were calibrated using try and error method while the hydraulic conductivities were calibrated using an optimization problem with an objective function of minimizing the residual sum of squares of water table prediction and observation (a period of 7 years) using an evolutionary ant colony optimization tool and R􀬶 =0. 93 obtained. Furthermore, the calibrated model verified for a period of 3 years. Results: The aquifers condition was assessed in transient condition for a period of 30 years, under 7 various scenarios which have been compiled from climate, utilization, crop pattern and the aquifer restoration plan of Iran indexes. By a decrease of 10% in the precipitation and an increase of 20% in the extractions, the groundwater elevation will drop by 0. 9 meter and 6. 1 meter, respectively. Changing the crop pattern from wheat to barley, which consumes less water, causes 4. 4 meters rising in the groundwater elevation. In the removing unlicensed wells scenario, the annual water level rising will be 0. 45 meter in average. Conclusion: The groundwater elevation has been faced with the most changes in the scenario of removing unlicensed wells in all over the study area compared to other scenarios and at the end of simulation period, it would be predicted that the groundwater elevation will increase about 19. 6 m. This shows the necessity of paying attention to determining unlicensed wells condition in the aquifer restoration plan more than ever.

Population growth and economic developing programs have increased the pressures on water resources and put serious challenges on the balance of water resources and especially groundwater systems. In recent years, green water has been considered as one of fresh water sources while various acts have taken for its scientific and practical management. Green water management acts affect both surface and ground water resources and can be effective in aquifer restoration plans. In this research, the effects of these acts in the study area of NAMDAN located in the Tashk-Bakhtegan basin in Fars province of Iran have been evaluated using MODFLOW model. The model was calibrated for a seven year period (2006-2013) and validated for a three year period (2013-2016) in both steady and unsteady conditions. Then, the effects of mulch, stone lines, terraces, and contour acts on the balance and the water level of the aquifer were investigated. The results showed that the mulch with the average of an annual increase of 4.2% in storage and terrace with an increase of 4% of stored water in the aquifer have had the greatest impact on the aquifer, which can be suitable acts for the aquifer restoration under plans such as Iran Aquifer Restoration Plan but results are not enough to cover for the restoration objectives.

One of the common and growing perspectives on achieving sustainability is to formulate its indicators based on local data alongside with a guided and experimental approach. On this basis, designing and prioritization of rangeland sustainability indicators from the experts perspectives in the nomadic rangelands of Kham NAMDAN in Eghlid county, Robat Sarvestan and Dogush Naderi of Khanj county were done. These three regions were considered as the representatives of seasonal nomadic rangelands, cold, temperate and warm, of Fars province, respectively. In this study, multivariate decision-making methods, fuzzy Delphi, hierarchical analysis (AHP) and TOPSIS method were used. The questionnaire criteria were divided into four categoris: climate and meteorology, crop production, soil and anthropogenic. Analysis of the results at the level of indices showed that anthropogenic and soil indices with a weight of 0. 480 and 0. 330 were the highest, respectively, and crop production and climate and hydrological indices with relative weights of 0. 134 and 0. 056 were fallen in the next rank. At the level of options or criteria, all unapproved options were related to the anthropogenic index, while in the indicators of climate and hydrology, crop production and soil, all options were approved by experts. Paired comparison of the options also shows that the options of income and capital, ownership and types of visible soil erosion with relative weights of 0. 16, 0. 13 and 0. 11 have the highest priority. On the contrary, for drought index, average annual temperature and access to alternative forage with relative weights less than 0. 005 have the lowest priority. The results of TOPSIS method showed that options: finance (income, savings, loans and insurance), ownership (land, livestock, housing and car) and types of erosion are superior to other options.

Groundwater storages are the main sources of water in Iran. With the developments in technology, utilization of these resources has been severely increased over the past few decades so that the extracted water is more than the capacity of renewable water. This has led to depletion in groundwater levels, deterioration of these resources and its associated negative consequences. Hence, the proper management of these valuable resources and the sustainability conservation means are of significant importance. For proper management of groundwater resources, decision models can be used with a combined framework of simulation and optimization models. Therefore, in this research, using numerical simulation model (MODFLOW) for a management horizon of ten-years and ant colony optimization algorithm, simulation-optimization model for the NAMDAN aquifer located in Fars province, Iran, was developed. Three indices of sustainability, filling and restoration of the aquifer are considered to restoration management of groundwater resources in the study area, in line with Iran aquifer restoration plan. Based on the objective of achieving best condition for stability, filling, and restoration of the aquifer over the management horizon, the results indicated an increase of 3, 9. 5 and 10. 6 m of groundwater level, respectively, compared to the beginning of the management period. This highlighted the necessity of proper selection of objective function considering the main objectives of the management plan and provided the feasibility of assessment on the requirements to implement the plan. Also, the use of three indicators of reliability, utility and vulnerability to examine the results of scenarios showed the best aquifer status under the scenario of applying the restoration index.

Investigation of the morphological evidences on the quaternary glacial of Iran has been of interest to many researches. However, the origin of such studies can be attributed to Domorgan (1890) and Bobek (1955). In the same vein, over the past ten years, Iranian researchers have conducted deeper studies on the changes in the climatic conditions of Iran in the quaternary. The analysis of the obtained climatic data currently registered in Iran, on one hand, and the existence of locations with remarkable differences in terms of temperature with adjacent regions, on the other, have attracted the attention of geomorphologists to such areas, as well as to their distribution in Iran. It is evident that, by focusing on the estimated environmental temperature, one can guess that these areas have also had greater temperature characteristics during the cold periods in the past relative to their adjacent regions. The regions which show greater temperature than their adjacent areas are called cold troughs. If the annual temperature of these cold troughs is less than 5°C and their surfaces are flat, then we can formulate a hypothesis for the existence of ice capes. This paper aimed at identifying the cold troughs in Iran and investigating their geomorphic characteristics in order to find evidences on the possibility of the existence of previous ice caps in these areas. The results revealed, for the first time, the presence of ice caps evidence over NAMDAN Plain.