Mohammad Reza Alizadeh; Haidar Lotfi; Ezatollah Ezati
Abstract
Cities are always the centers of innovation and creativity. Richard Flouride believes that cities are the places where creativity occurs and have always been the drivers of development and attention, and guidance of humans’ creativity energy. The quality of life in city is directly affected by ...
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Cities are always the centers of innovation and creativity. Richard Flouride believes that cities are the places where creativity occurs and have always been the drivers of development and attention, and guidance of humans’ creativity energy. The quality of life in city is directly affected by the kind of look at urban issues. Urban creativity as a strategic approach can affect the quality of living in cities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of membership in the network of UNESCO's creative cities on sustainable urban development in Iran, focusing on of Isfahan as a case. The study was carried out using a researcher-made questionnaire with a sample of 384 Isfahan citizens in 2018 selected randomly. In this research, the instrument used includes a researcher-made creative city questionnaire with three components (economic, social, cultural) and sustainable urban development questionnaire with three components (economic, sociocultural, and environmental). SPSS was used to analyze the data. The findings of this study showed that membership in the creative city network has been effective in sustainable urban development in Isfahan. As the social and economic components of the creative city change, the sustainable development of Isfahan also changes. The findings also showed that the economic component of the creative city is more important than other components of the creative city regarding the impact on sustainable urban development in Isfahan.
Mohammad Akhbari; Mohamad Basiri Sadr
Abstract
Currently greatest environmental threats are global warming and climate change. Climate change will lead to shortages of water and food, disease, unemployment, migration, poverty, tensions on resources and global instability. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effects of climate change in Iran ...
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Currently greatest environmental threats are global warming and climate change. Climate change will lead to shortages of water and food, disease, unemployment, migration, poverty, tensions on resources and global instability. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effects of climate change in Iran and its impact on sustainable development and geopolitics. This research is a descriptive analytic study and used survey method. The questionnaire was designed based on the indicators of the effects of climate change, sustainable development, and geopolitics and was distributed among experts in meteorological, environmental and passive defense organizations. Sixty questionnaires were received. Measuring the reliability and validity using Software (pls) and proper patterning, the research hypothesis was proved. Findings showed taht there is a significant and reverse relation between the effects of climate change and sustainable development. Also, the reduction of sustainable development has a negative and significant effect on the geopolitical power of the Iran. Moreover, the reduction of sustainable development has a mediating role in the impact of climate change on geopolitics. In this study, Friedman's comparative test, prioritization of influential parameters of climate change in geopolitics was discussed. Amongst the factors, poverty and social anomalies, drought and immigration have the most negative impact on the country's geopolitics. The suggestions emphasized the necessity of implementing effective methods, watershed management and optimal exploitation of water resources, increasing productivity through new irrigation practices, changes in crop operations and cultivars, replacing crops that require less water and soil tillage, using clean energies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to be consistent with the effects of climate change.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf; Javad Etaat; Hosein Mohammadi; zahra Moussavi
Abstract
Extended Abstract
1. Introduction
Since the end of the Second World War, the development paradigm has become the dominant discourse in the world. During the more than 6 decades that the concept of development discourse has been dominant, many theoretical and practical developments have accompanied ...
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Extended Abstract
1. Introduction
Since the end of the Second World War, the development paradigm has become the dominant discourse in the world. During the more than 6 decades that the concept of development discourse has been dominant, many theoretical and practical developments have accompanied it. First, attention was solely paid on economic development and nature was considered as a facilitator of economic growth. However, it was gradually recognized that development with this economic growth approach changes the natural systems of the planet and leads to numerous environmental hazards that can threaten the economic and political systems of countries. Therefore, it is very possible for a political entity to attain the development, but sustained development will be faced with serious doubts because environmental aspects are ignored. Therefore, the concept of sustainable development replaced development.
2. Methodology
Given the above- mentioned approach, this descriptive-analytic research examined the relationship between Development Programs and the environmental problems with Urmia Lake as a case example. To do this, an analytic and explanatory method, the accumulation of data and the existing literature have been adopted to carry out a library and document-based research.
3. Discussion
Urmia Lake, located in the northwestern part of Iran, is one of the salt over-saturated lakes in the world. This lake was introduced as a Biosphere Reserve to UNESCO’s program of Man and the Biosphere and was included in the list of the Wetlands of this Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar-1971). The water level in Urmia Lake was at its highest in 1995 and then, since 1995 up to 2012, it has declined more than seven meters. A review of other studies shows that although climate change and particularly evaporation increment are significant agents in decreasing the water level, the main causes of drying up the lake have been anthropogenic factors. For example, Lak, Darvishi Khatooni and Mohammadi (2011) suggested that although Iran has experienced a long-term drought since 13000 years ago up to now, Urmia Lake has never experienced dryness except in coastal areas and the main part of the lake has had lacustrine environment for 13000 years. On the other hand, according to Jamali, Sharifi, and Pourmand (2013), climate change never affects a single point selectively, and the performance of these changes is always on an extensive scale. The dramatic decrease in the water level of Lake Urmia has not been observed in the neighboring lakes such as the Sevan Lake in Armenia and Lake Van in Turkey. Therefore, the National Development Programs as well as development plans in the Urmia Lake Basin as human factors influencing the current situation and the environmental problems of Lake Urmia have been analyzed in this research. At present there are about 95 dams in the Urmia Lake Basin, 57 of which are operational, nine are under construction, and 29 are in the study phase. Moreover, water utilization has increased very rapidly in the past two decades and has depleted more than 90 percent of the water in the aquifers. The agriculture sector is the most important consumer of the water in this Basin and has experienced remarkable changes during the last three decades. So, The Development Programs have been one of the main reasons for the drying up of the Lake. The consequences resulting from the implementation of Development Plans in the Urmia Lake basin and drying the Lake are mainly the disruption of the biodiversity in the region, increased salinity, soil erosion, pollution of water sources, salt dust, and weather changes in the region that can threaten the sustainability of the development.
4. Conclusion
The analysis of the planning process and Development Programs in Iran shows that the patterns of development in Iran have always been based on economic growth which allows for achieving other economic and social goals. So, environmental resources have been considered as the foundation of national wealth and economic growth facilitator. Development with the economic growth approach has led to numerous environmental problems in the country of which Lake Urmia is an example. Therefore, it is possible for a political entity to attain development, but sustained development will be faced with serious doubts because environmental aspects are ignored.
