University of Tehran Press Journal of Ecohydrology 2423-6098 11 2 2024 06 21 Investigation of Factors Affecting the Drying of Wetlands and Preparation of a Cognitive Map of Factors Affecting the Dust Phenomenon in Southwest Iran Investigation of Factors Affecting the Drying of Wetlands and Preparation of a Cognitive Map of Factors Affecting the Dust Phenomenon in Southwest Iran 257 270 98196 10.22059/ije.2024.377518.1825 FA Nargeskhatoon Dowlatabadi Department of Irrigation and Drainage, College of Aburaihan , University of Tehran Sajad Najafi Department of irrigation and driange college of Aburaihan. university of Tehran Hamid Kardan Moghaddam Department of Water resources research, Water research institute, Ministry of energy, Tehran, Iran Mahsa Jabbari Malayeri Department of Water Engineering, College of Aburaihan, University of Tehran, Iran. Seyed Mohammad Sadegh Eslami Civil Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Birjand of University, Birjand, Iran Journal Article 2024 06 04 The phenomenon of dust in the western border of the country has increased in terms of continuity and concentration, disrupting the ecological potential of this region. In addition to affecting infrastructure and causing social problems, it also adversely affects people's health. To identify the factors affecting this phenomenon, the SODA approach was used as a simple technique with a cognitive mapping approach. Cognitive mapping can show the importance of a particular factor based on the values of all factors affecting a phenomenon. In this study, seven experts in the field of water resources were interviewed, and<br />after reaching a consensus, nine factors were identified as the most effective in the occurrence of this phenomenon. The results of the analysis, using concepts related to graph theory, determined the relative activity (centrality) of nodes and the formation of a proximity matrix. This showed that the mismanagement of water resources, the lack of attention to watershed management in the region, and the unilateral development of Turkey in the area—including the construction of numerous dams upstream of the Tigris River—were identified as the most active nodes and factors. These two factors had the highest impact, with a relative weight of 0.015 in terms of prioritization. On the other hand, the analysis showed that the Iran-Iraq war and the security strategies of the Ba'athist regime in Iraq were identified as the factors with the least activity with a relative weight of 0.007 in the dust issue. Finally, this approach can lead to the extraction of practical and applied strategies to solve environmental problems such as dust. The phenomenon of dust in the western border of the country has increased in terms of continuity and concentration, disrupting the ecological potential of this region. In addition to affecting infrastructure and causing social problems, it also adversely affects people's health. To identify the factors affecting this phenomenon, the SODA approach was used as a simple technique with a cognitive mapping approach. Cognitive mapping can show the importance of a particular factor based on the values of all factors affecting a phenomenon. In this study, seven experts in the field of water resources were interviewed, and<br />after reaching a consensus, nine factors were identified as the most effective in the occurrence of this phenomenon. The results of the analysis, using concepts related to graph theory, determined the relative activity (centrality) of nodes and the formation of a proximity matrix. This showed that the mismanagement of water resources, the lack of attention to watershed management in the region, and the unilateral development of Turkey in the area—including the construction of numerous dams upstream of the Tigris River—were identified as the most active nodes and factors. These two factors had the highest impact, with a relative weight of 0.015 in terms of prioritization. On the other hand, the analysis showed that the Iran-Iraq war and the security strategies of the Ba'athist regime in Iraq were identified as the factors with the least activity with a relative weight of 0.007 in the dust issue. Finally, this approach can lead to the extraction of practical and applied strategies to solve environmental problems such as dust. https://ije.ut.ac.ir/article_98196_a58784dfb9b8c341f2230c883f89c492.pdf