Extended Abstract
Introduction
Integrated watershed management, as a socio-ecological approach, integrates knowledge from hydrology, ecology, and social sciences to create a dynamic balance between conserving natural capital and improving local livelihoods. This approach goes beyond engineering, emphasizing coordination among ecological, economic, and social dimensions. Over forty percent of the world's population depends on watershed resources, and their degradation has irreparable consequences for food security and social instability. The Zagros Mountain range is Iran's primary supplier of water and biodiversity. Central Zagros, with suitable precipitation averaging six hundred to twelve hundred millimeters and rich oak forests, serves as the headwater of major rivers such as Karun, Zayandeh-Rud, Dez, and Karkheh. This region is the main center of nomadic and rural life. Parallel folding and deep valleys have created unique habitat diversity, making Central Zagros a globally significant region for biodiversity and culture. However, decades of unsustainable exploitation, climate change, recurring droughts, and weak integrated management have exposed this region to serious challenges. Studies indicate significant decline in river discharge, with over seventy percent of stations showing negative trends. Vegetation degradation has occurred due to overgrazing, while unsustainable harvesting of medicinal plants continues. Soil quality deterioration is evidenced by decreases in organic carbon following land use change. Groundwater contributes over fifty percent to base flow, highlighting the importance of aquifer recharge. Given these challenges, this study analyzes integrated watershed management and its role in ecological resilience and sustainable livelihood in Central Zagros.

Materials and Methods
This research is qualitative and based on a systematic review combined with meta-synthesis, enabling comprehensive insights by combining and interpreting findings from previous studies. This approach is particularly suitable for interdisciplinary topics like integrated watershed management that require integration of ecological, economic, and social perspectives. The statistical population includes all published studies on integrated watershed management, ecological resilience, and sustainable livelihood in Central Zagros and similar regions. Reputable domestic databases including SID and Magiran, and international databases including Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar were searched using specialized keywords. Primary keywords included "Integrated Watershed Management," "Ecological Resilience," "Sustainable Livelihood," "Central Zagros," "Local Community Participation," and their Persian equivalents. The search timeframe was from 2001 to 2025. Studies were included if they had direct relevance to the topic, were conducted in Central Zagros or ecologically similar regions, had clear methodology and documented results, and provided full-text access. Exclusion criteria included studies lacking scientific validity and research focusing solely on technical aspects without socio-economic dimensions. The research was conducted in five steps: formulating research questions, systematic search and screening, quality assessment using standardized checklists, extracting and coding findings using qualitative content analysis, and synthesizing findings to present a conceptual framework. MAXQDA 2020 was used for data analysis, VOSviewer for visualization, and SPSS version 26 for descriptive statistics.

Results and Discussion
Systematic analysis revealed that over 70 percent of hydrometric stations in Central Zagros show significant declining trends in annual streamflow, with reductions most pronounced in spring. Groundwater contributes more than 50 percent to base flow, highlighting the critical importance of aquifer recharge. Regarding vegetation degradation, overgrazing beyond rangeland capacity has severely reduced palatable species. Land conversion to agriculture is the most important human factor causing degradation, while drought is the most important natural factor. Soil quality deterioration is evidenced by significant decreases in organic carbon and carbohydrates following land use change. From a socio-economic perspective, economic pressure, lack of alternative employment opportunities, and insufficient knowledge of sustainable exploitation principles drive unsustainable harvesting of medicinal plants. The total economic value of ecosystem services in one watershed reached 246.6 million dollars annually, with soil erosion regulation having the highest share and water supply the lowest. These findings indicate that Central Zagros faces a concurrent crisis where ecological and socio-economic pressures simultaneously reduce resilience of ecosystems and local communities. The significant decline in river discharge represents the most important warning for water security. Low ecological resilience scores compared to human dimensions indicate severe pressure on natural ecosystems and the urgency of restoring balance. Implementing Low Impact Development scenarios can reduce urban runoff by up to 45 percent. Achieving sustainable resilience requires synergy from integrating indigenous knowledge with modern technologies within effective local community participation.

Conclusion
This study demonstrates that integrated watershed management plays a crucial role in enhancing ecological resilience and promoting sustainable livelihoods in Central Zagros. The findings confirm that creating synergy between ecological, economic, and social dimensions addresses the challenges facing this strategic region. Central Zagros is experiencing a concurrent crisis where ecological degradation and socio-economic pressures reinforce each other, creating a vicious cycle of resource depletion. The significant decline in river discharge at over seventy percent of stations, severe vegetation degradation due to overgrazing, substantial soil quality deterioration, and low ecological resilience scores paint a concerning picture. However, the study reveals significant opportunities for recovery. The high economic value of ecosystem services at 246.6 million dollars annually demonstrates that conservation investments have strong justification. Successful implementation of Low Impact Development scenarios can reduce urban runoff by up to forty-five percent. Essential strategies for achieving sustainable resilience include establishing monitoring systems combining remote sensing and artificial intelligence, developing green infrastructure prioritizing groundwater recharge, diversifying livelihood portfolios through sustainable tourism and medicinal plant cultivation, and empowering local communities through conservation-oriented cooperatives. Reforming governance structures to enhance adaptive capacity is also crucial. Successful implementation depends on strong political will, effective cooperation, long-term financial allocation, genuine community engagement, and capacity building for local institutions. Sustainable resilience in Central Zagros depends on synergy from integrating indigenous knowledge with modern technologies within effective local participation. The transition from structural to adaptive participatory management is essential for the region's future.