The territory is the structural pillar of the government and the country, and its stability and protection is the essential condition for development and survival. In recent years, Iran has faced many challenges in the biological and environmental resources, especially water resources, the roots of which should be sought in the Islamic Republic's macro strategies and territorial governance approach. The victory of the Islamic revolution caused a profound change in the political thought and territorial governance system in Iran. In the meantime, the discourse and policy of self-sufficiency became a part of the principles of Iran's governance system. The purpose of this research is to investigate and evaluate the policy and strategy of self-sufficiency and its impact on the quality of territorial governance and the state of environmental sustainability in Iran. During the period of the Islamic Revolution, territorial governance was implemented based on the strategy of self-sufficiency and with the aim of economic resilience, reducing vulnerability, and ensuring Iran's food security. The main question of the research is what effect the self-sufficiency strategy has had on territorial governance in Iran and what are its environmental and territorial consequences. This research was carried out by descriptive and analytical methods and document analysis, and the data needed for the research was obtained from Iran's upstream documents and laws, especially the five-year development plans of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The results of the research show that Iran's territorial governance has been influenced by the policy of self-sufficiency as a sustainable strategy of the Islamic Republic of Iran. In such a way the policy of self-sufficiency has become the basis for double pressure and threat to Iran's biological and water resources, and if it continues, it can threaten the social and economic life of many cities and villages in Iran.
Extended Abstract
1-Introduction
Territorial governance is an essential part of the country's governance system. It emphasizes the preservation and management of territory, the balance of biological resources, and environmental sustainability, and is considered the most important element of the sustainable development process. In recent years, the country of Iran has faced many challenges in the biological resources, especially water resources. The root of this problem should be sought in the Islamic Republic's macro strategies and territorial governance approach. The victory of the Islamic revolution caused a profound change in the political thought and territorial governance system in Iran. In the meantime, the discourse and policy of self-sufficiency became a part of the principles of Iran's governance system. The purpose of this research is to investigate and evaluate the policy and strategy of self-sufficiency and its impact on the quality of territorial governance and the state of environmental sustainability in Iran. During the period of the Islamic Revolution, territorial governance was implemented based on the strategy of self-sufficiency and with the aim of economic resilience, reducing vulnerability, and ensuring Iran's food security. The main question of the research is what effect the self-sufficiency strategy has had on territorial governance in Iran and what are its environmental and territorial consequences.
 
2-Materials and Methods
The spatial scope of the research was the country of Iran and its temporal scope period was the Islamic Republic of Iran. The present research is applied in terms of its nature and was carried out by descriptive method and document analysis. The data required for the research is obtained from the speeches and messages of the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the constitution, and the documents and laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran, such as the six laws of the five-year development plans of Iran and the general policies of Iran. In the research process, after extracting the contents and themes of the legal articles related to the self-sufficiency policy and its related concepts from the upper documents and laws, they were analyzed and related policies. Then, the spatial effects and environmental threats caused by them in the territory of Iran and in general the quality of territorial governance of Iran were analyzed.
3- Results and Discussion
The history of the idea of self-sufficient governance goes back to the first Pahlavi period and was accompanied by ups and downs in the second Pahlavi period. During the rule of the Islamic Republic, the discourse and policy of self-sufficiency became one of the fundamental elements of Iran's strategic and development plans. In Iran's five-year development plans, the policy of self-sufficiency, especially the production of strategic agricultural products, has been emphasized. In this regard, the expansion of agricultural access to water resources and the digging of agricultural wells have been supported by the government. Even the Iranian government declared the drilling of unauthorized wells legal until the beginning of the 2010s. In more than four decades, the implementation of self-sufficiency policies has caused a lot of pressure on the biological foundations, especially the water resources and aquifers of Iran. The drying up of many rivers and wetlands and the indiscriminate drilling of authorized and unauthorized deep and semi-deep wells and as a result the sharp drop in the level of aquifers in the territory of Iran and numerous consequences such as land subsidence have threatened the social and economic life of many areas of Iran. The effort to achieve self-sufficiency in the production of basic agricultural products has directly increased the pressure on Iran's environmental and territorial resources and capacities, especially the country's reserves and water resources. The sharp drop in the water level of the underground aquifers and as a result of the increase in water stress in many plains of the country has intensified in the years of the implementation of the self-sufficiency strategy.
4- Conclusion
The results of the research show that Iran's territorial governance has been influenced by the policy of self-sufficiency as a sustainable strategy of the Islamic Republic of Iran. In such a way the policy of self-sufficiency has become the basis for double pressure and threat to Iran's biological and water resources, and if it continues, it can threaten the social and economic life of many cities and villages in Iran.