The Impacts of Drought on the Life of Taheri Nomadic Tribe in Tabas County of Iran

Author

Abstract

        Production system and social life of nomads face many challenges and socio-economic problems, one of which is drought. The Purpose of this study was to recognize the barriers to development and socio-economic problems created by drought during the five year period of 2001-2006 in winter resort area and its effects on the life of Taheri nomadic tribe in Tabas county. The research methodology was field study relying on scientific sampling and also using statistics and information from censuses of moving tribes during the past years. The results indicated that drought has affected the community economically and socially and declined development trend considerably. Some of the most important economic effects of drought were a decline in the number of livestocks per household, severe decline in the number of heavy livestocks, decline in the production of handicrafts and ultimately reducing production and average income of each household in comparison to pre drought period. Some of the most important social impacts of drought were population decline in the tribe as a result of out-migration, particularly of seasonal and temporal type. Other negative impacts of drought were pasture land destruction, and decline in the quantity and quality of produced feed.      7

Keywords