Nature Engineering
Soil and water play a fundamental role in the life and social, economic, and political stability of societies. Therefore, understanding water and soil resources, their proper conservation and utilization, and the correct management of these resources are of particular importance for advancing agricultural and natural resources planning and objectives. Large areas of Iran consist of watersheds, natural rangelands, and deserts. Most of these watersheds, rangelands, and deserts are exposed to water and wind erosion, overgrazing, and destructive floods. Preventing this destructive trend, combating desertification, and rehabilitating and improving rangelands require appropriate projects tailored to the conditions and needs of each region, and, of course, these projects must be executed by skilled and knowledgeable professionals.
Furthermore, since more than two-thirds of the country is located in arid and desert regions, there is significant potential to train technical experts in desertification control and adaptation. In recent years, due to wind erosion and the occurrence of dust storms across vast areas of the country, the importance of desertification control and management of arid and desert regions has become even more critical.
For this reason, natural resource disciplines, especially Nature Engineering, hold a special place globally and among other sciences, and universities have made considerable efforts to expand this field. Nature Engineering is, in fact, an interdisciplinary collection of sciences and techniques designed to train individuals in the identification of plant communities, climate, water and soil, livestock, factors of rangeland and watershed degradation and erosion, desertification, and development of basic resources (essential for forage and water production).
The Department of Rangeland and Watershed Engineering is the first and oldest department, established in February 1996 as Ardakan Higher Education Center under the supervision of Yazd University, initially admitting students to the Bachelor’s (non-continuous) program (Associate to Bachelor’s) in Rangeland and Watershed Management. Currently, the Department of Nature Engineering has been formed by merging the two main departments of Rangeland and Watershed Management and Arid and Desert Area Management, with the most experienced faculty members of the university active in this group. Achievements such as the highest number of master’s admissions in 2000 and excellent doctoral admission records are among the honors of this department. Many former students are now faculty members in universities across the country or hold other prominent positions.
The department currently admits students at both undergraduate and master’s levels. The history of student admissions is as follows:
Undergraduate Programs:

• B.Sc. (Non-continuous) in Natural Resources Engineering – Rangeland and Watershed Management (1995–2009)

• B.Sc. (Non-continuous) in Natural Resources Engineering – Rehabilitation and Utilization of Desert Areas (2004–2009)

• B.Sc. in Natural Resources Engineering – Rangeland and Watershed Management (2009–2016)

• B.Sc. in Natural Resources Engineering – Management of Arid and Desert Areas (2009–2016)

• B.Sc. in Nature Engineering (2017–present)

Master’s Programs:

• M.Sc. in Natural Resources Engineering – Watershed Management (2012–2016)

• M.Sc. in Natural Resources Engineering – Desertification (2013–2016)

• M.Sc. in Natural Resources Engineering – Rangeland Management (2013–2016)

• M.Sc. in Watershed Science and Engineering – Soil and Water Conservation (2017–present)

• M.Sc. in Watershed Science and Engineering – Flood and River Management (2018–present)

• M.Sc. in Desert Management and Control (2017–present)

• M.Sc. in Rangeland Science and Engineering – Rangeland Rehabilitation and Improvement (2017–present)

• M.Sc. in Rangeland Science and Engineering – Medicinal and Industrial Plants (2018–present)

Career Prospects and Job Opportunities:
This field offers broad job prospects. Graduates can work in various organizations connected to nature, such as natural resources departments and research centers, the Ministry of Energy, the Department of Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture Jihad, the Ministry of Interior, municipalities, and companies related to natural resources, civil engineering, agriculture, and the environment.
The journal of Natural Ecosystems Management Engineering (https://emj.ardakan.ac.ir/?lang=fa) is managed by the Nature Engineering Department in collaboration with the Iranian Rangeland Association and with the support of Ardakan University officials. This journal is scientific-research, verified by the Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology’s Journals Commission, is published quarterly in Persian. The Nature Engineering Department also hosts a student branch of the Iranian Rangeland Association.