Dimensions, Challenges and Strategies for the Development of Border Areas

اقتصاد و توسعه منطقه ای

Article 9, Volume 30, Issue 25, June 2022, Pages 291-315   

Document Type: Original Article

DOI: 10.22067/erd.2023.76439.1113

Authors

mohammad ghadimi^{* 1}; mohammad solimani²; seyed sajad mosavian³; mostafa yakhchali¹

¹Master Student of Islamic Education and Economics, Imam Sadiq University, Tehran, Iran

²Assistant Professor, Faculty of Islamic Education and Economics, Imam Sadiq University, Tehran, Iran

³Ph. D Student in Public Administration, Policy Orientation, Institute for Management and Planning Studies, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

 
1- INTRODUCTION
Undoubtly, the development of the border areas, especially the border areas of Sistan, will stabilize the border population, increase the security factor, deterrence, peace and tranquility in the region. Also, since the border areas are extremely important in foreign trade and foreign exchange, the development of these areas will lead to the economic prosperity of the region and the country. Although various dimensions of issues and problems related to border areas have been studied sporadically since the past, but the development of these areas with this title, not only its place in the country's development planning system has not been explained, but also its dimensions and characteristics are less. Therefore, the necessity of conducting scientific studies in this regard is felt more than before and they are identified and studied. In order to achieve comprehensive development, there is a need for national and regional planning, formulation of strategy and identification of development obstacles. In the strategic approach, it is necessary to provide a future perspective and a clear understanding of the future. Therefore, the main issue of this article is how to develop the border areas of Sistan, in other words, how to get the border area of Sistan out of deprivation and poverty. In this article, by examination the capacities and challenges of this province, operational requirements and solutions for the comprehensive development of the border areas will be presented.
 
2- THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Regional development is also a change in the spatial distribution of economic and social phenomena such as population, income, government revenues, production of various goods and services, transportation facilities and other social infrastructures and even political power (management planning, 2006:11). Regional development often includes two conflicting goals of people's well-being and places' well-being. It is always known in advance that creating employment in the places where people live, due to avoiding psychological and economic costs of migration and natural resources, capital equipment and social infrastructure, is a priority to ensure employment in other places.
According to the studies conducted in this field, it can be said that in connection with the development of border regions, various theories such as the theory of the crystalline central place, the growth pole theory, the theory of the center of growth, the theory of the center around, and the theory of the return of the center are used, each of them with they are designed according to certain conditions and principles and are used at certain levels.
As a result, the theoretical framework of the development of border regions is in the whole framework of regional development. Since the border regions are different from the central regions, this theoretical framework is based on the interpretation of the phenomenon of regional imbalance between the border regions and the central regions. Basically, all theories related to regional development revolve around regional imbalance as the center of their discussions.
 
3- METHODOLOGY
Thematic analysis is a method to recognize, analyze and report patterns in qualitative data. This method is a process for analyzing textual data and transforms scattered and diverse data into rich and detailed data. Thematic analysis is not only a specific qualitative method, but also is a process that can be used in most qualitative methods.
 
4- RESULTS & DISCUSSION
The requirements for the development of Sistan region are:
Solutions related to industry and mining

Creating user industries instead of capital-intensive industries
Investment of government, public, non-government and private sectors in the production sector
Investing in the mining sector of Sistan region

Solutions related to trade facilitation and expansion

Development of border markets
Establishing the economic dependence of Afghanistan for the development of trade relations

Solutions related to agriculture

Negotiating with Afghanistan for extraterritorial cultivation
Completion of the 46,000-hectare plan of His Highness Zeleh Al-Ali
Revival of Hamon International Wetland
Preventing excessive evaporation of surface water
Implementation of deep wells project
Expanding and promoting productive agricultural supply chain
Facilitating contract farming conditions

Solutions related to the field of tourism development

Facilitating medical tourism conditions

Livelihood solutions

Legalizing fuel transportation
Avoiding unmanaged grants
Implementation of the plan of home solar panels with long-term facilities
Implementation of innovative empowerment plansand environment of the region)

 
5- CONCLUSIONS & SUGGESTIONS
Sistan and Baluchistan province, being located in a special geographical area, has potential in terms of mineral capacities, clean energy, as well as opportunities for foreign exchange and transit of goods, and is at risk from various economic, cultural and social, political, security and infrastructure challenges. Therefore, any development planning for the province and especially the Sistan region should take into account its special conditions. The province's challenges are mainly caused by weakness in regional development planning, weak diplomacy in water and trade, large size of the province, drought, dominant security perspective, weakness in commercial and property laws and diversity of ethnic groups and religions. The result of the province's problems has caused this province to lose its high position in the production of agricultural products, and by not substituting industry for agriculture, it turned to the service sector over many years, and due to the limitations of the service market, a large number of people to immigrate to this province. This, while disrupting the ethnic composition of other parts of the country, has led to the formation of marginalization, increased statistics of social damage and corruption in this province, and has also depopulated the border, which itself is considered a security threat. The development of Sistan region has its own requirements and according to this situation, it is necessary to comprehensively plan regional development and carefully study the economy and capacities of Pakistan and Afghanistan. In completing and developing the province's infrastructure and industry - especially in the Sistan region - provide the necessary ground to preserve the population structure and prevent the migration of people in this region.

Keywords

Regional development; border areas; Sistan and Baluchestan; challenges; solutions

References

 

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