Area zoning for ecotourism development (Case study: forest around the Garan dam- Mariwan)
Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 M.Sc. Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Kurdistan, Iran
2 Assistant Professor, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Kurdistan, Iran
Abstract
Area zoning for ecotourism development (Case study: forest around the Garan dam- Mariwan) Zagros forests has taken into consideration as one of natural symbols in Iran since years ago and are one of the most important tourism sites. Currently, the most of these forests has been modified and disturbed, so a special attention should be done to make a good decision to develop humanity plans. Land use planning programs in the ecological potential assessment of these areas can be one of way to preserve these valuable ecosystems, in line with sustainable development programs to improve the livelihood of the community. Building of Garan dam in Mariwan forest placed a series of natural and human tourist attractions together. In this study, to assess the tourism potential, the weighted linear combination and AHP were used as main methods. Potential tourism zoning has made using 11 criteria, sub-criteria and sign were. Required layers were combined in the GIS with the expert weights and the ecological potential map of the study area was produced in 5 classes. The results of this study showed that 6.54% of the study area placed in first class of ecotourism capability and dam impounding can upgrade the ecotourism potential, but increasing infrastructure such as service centers and access roads are the main conditions to develop ecotourism in this region.
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