Investigating the Challenge of charcoal production from the Viewpoint of Specialists and Local Communities in Zagros Forests

Charcoal production is one of the major exploitative processes of forests in Lorestan province (especially the middle Zagros). It causes deforestation and forest degradation. The objective of this study is to investigate the challenges of charcoal production in the forests of Bastam, located in Aleshtar county of Lorestan province. For this purpose, a questionnaire was prepared, after a field survey, using the experience of local experts, for an interview with local charcoal production role-makers. Based on the strategic positioning matrix and strategic action matrix, we determine the most important strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, to be identified by local charcoal production role-makers. The results showed that the most important strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for the charcoal between experts were considering local livelihoods and increasing household income is deforestation (density reduction, canopy cover, and gradual deforestation), reducing rural migration to the city and endangering the sustainability of the forest, respectively. Local role-makers emphasized weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, including respiratory and visual impairment, and bodies burns, the Possibility of setting up a collaborative management system, and the presence of people outside the rural custom for charcoal. The positions (-13.48, -26.09), (-17.29, -29.77), and (-0.5, -12.5) were obtained, respectively. Thus the matrix of position assessment and strategic action confirmed the defensive strategy (in terms of total statistics and experts) and conservative (in terms of local people). For optimal forest management and reduction of coal production proposed to empower local communities and create small funds in the direction of reforestation and forest regeneration, and to reduce and eliminate coal from oak trees.