Shahid Beheshti University Advanced Environmental Sciences 3115-7173 23 4 2026 05 11 The Effect of Climate Change on Production of Agricultural and Other Economic Sectors of Sistan and Baluchestan Province The Effect of Climate Change on Production of Agricultural and Other Economic Sectors of Sistan and Baluchestan Province 809 824 105974 10.48308/envs.2025.236441.1423 FA Mostafa Istgaldi Department of Geography, Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences, University of Zabol, Zabol, Iran 0009-0001-4291-8931 Ramezan Hosseinzadeh Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Administrative, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran 0000-0003-4451-5260 Abdullah Chamani Department of Sciences, Faculty of Range and Watershed Management, Gorgan University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran 0009-0003-4322-8523 Journal Article Introduction: Climate change has wide-ranging effects on different economic sectors in different regions. Meanwhile, the agricultural sector is highly affected by climate change due to its strong dependence on climate variables. The aim of this study is to study the direct and indirect effects of climate change on the economy of Sistan and Baluchestan province. For this purpose, the direct effect of climate change on the agricultural sector of the province has been estimated using the ARDL method. Then, using three different scenarios, the indirect effects of climate change on the production of other economic sectors of the province (due to the relationship with the agricultural sector) have been determined based on the input- output model. Material and methods: The present research analyzes the effects of climate change on the economic structure of Sistan and Baluchistan province in two stages. In the first stage, the direct effect of climate change on the agricultural sector of the province has been estimated using the ARDL method. In the second stage, the indirect effects of climate change on the production of other economic sectors have been determined based on the input- output model. The statistics required for this study, including the added value statistics of the agricultural sector of Sistan and Baluchistan province, the capital used in the agricultural sector of the province, and the labor force employed in the agricultural sector were obtained from the statistical yearbooks of the province in the management and planning organization of the province. To collect information about the temperature and precipitation of the province, the statistics of the Meteorological Organization of the whole country were used. Results and discussion: In this study of two models ARDL method and scenario building using data-output model has been used to investigate the direct and indirect effects of climate change on the agricultural sector. Based on ARDL model results, among three variables of labor force, capital inventory and climate change index, coefficient of labor and capital inventory was positive and coefficient of climatic index is negative(-0.33). The reduction of value added in agricultural sector in each of the three scenarios was 98379.85 billion Rials, 111324.6 and 139155.7 billion Rials, respectively. Also, the results of the input-output model, the sectors of the “food and beverage industry”, “textiles, apparel and leather”, and “hotel, dormitory and restaurant”, had the largest decrease in production in result of climate change due to declining agricultural production. The decline in output of the food and beverage industry due to the depreciation of the agricultural sector in each of the three scenarios was 8143.63 billion Rials, 9215.16.16 billion Rials and 1111518.96 billion Rials, respectively. Conclusion: The results show that appropriate policies should be adopted to reduce the effects of climate change in the province. Solutions such as changing the cultivation pattern towards crops resistant to high temperature and lack of water, storing floods caused by heavy rains and using them in crop cultivation, using clean energy such as solar energy and wind energy considering the potential of the province, and replacing these energies in production processes and reducing the use of fossil fuels can be effective programs in reducing the inappropriate effects of climate change. Introduction: Climate change has wide-ranging effects on different economic sectors in different regions. Meanwhile, the agricultural sector is highly affected by climate change due to its strong dependence on climate variables. The aim of this study is to study the direct and indirect effects of climate change on the economy of Sistan and Baluchestan province. For this purpose, the direct effect of climate change on the agricultural sector of the province has been estimated using the ARDL method. Then, using three different scenarios, the indirect effects of climate change on the production of other economic sectors of the province (due to the relationship with the agricultural sector) have been determined based on the input- output model. Material and methods: The present research analyzes the effects of climate change on the economic structure of Sistan and Baluchistan province in two stages. In the first stage, the direct effect of climate change on the agricultural sector of the province has been estimated using the ARDL method. In the second stage, the indirect effects of climate change on the production of other economic sectors have been determined based on the input- output model. The statistics required for this study, including the added value statistics of the agricultural sector of Sistan and Baluchistan province, the capital used in the agricultural sector of the province, and the labor force employed in the agricultural sector were obtained from the statistical yearbooks of the province in the management and planning organization of the province. To collect information about the temperature and precipitation of the province, the statistics of the Meteorological Organization of the whole country were used. Results and discussion: In this study of two models ARDL method and scenario building using data-output model has been used to investigate the direct and indirect effects of climate change on the agricultural sector. Based on ARDL model results, among three variables of labor force, capital inventory and climate change index, coefficient of labor and capital inventory was positive and coefficient of climatic index is negative(-0.33). The reduction of value added in agricultural sector in each of the three scenarios was 98379.85 billion Rials, 111324.6 and 139155.7 billion Rials, respectively. Also, the results of the input-output model, the sectors of the “food and beverage industry”, “textiles, apparel and leather”, and “hotel, dormitory and restaurant”, had the largest decrease in production in result of climate change due to declining agricultural production. The decline in output of the food and beverage industry due to the depreciation of the agricultural sector in each of the three scenarios was 8143.63 billion Rials, 9215.16.16 billion Rials and 1111518.96 billion Rials, respectively. Conclusion: The results show that appropriate policies should be adopted to reduce the effects of climate change in the province. Solutions such as changing the cultivation pattern towards crops resistant to high temperature and lack of water, storing floods caused by heavy rains and using them in crop cultivation, using clean energy such as solar energy and wind energy considering the potential of the province, and replacing these energies in production processes and reducing the use of fossil fuels can be effective programs in reducing the inappropriate effects of climate change.

https://envs.sbu.ac.ir/article_105974_d4a2d9ff61c044ebd9291283241cb00b.pdf

Shahid Beheshti University Advanced Environmental Sciences 3115-7173 23 4 2025 12 22 The Effect of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Improving the Growth Components of Seeds of Cerasus Mahaleb (L.) Mill The Effect of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Improving the Growth Components of Seeds of Cerasus Mahaleb (L.) Mill 825 838 105978 10.48308/envs.2025.237065.1442 FA Bahman Zamani Kebrabadi Department of Forestry, Faculty of Natural Resources, Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Sari, Iran 0000-0003-3251-4367 Nahid Jafarian Division of Forests, Rangelands and Watershed Research, Ilam Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center (AREEO), Ilam, Iran 0000-0003-0841-5529 Journal Article 2024 09 28 Introduction: Biofortification of seeds with biofertilizers is one of the newest ways to improve seed quality. Different biological seed priming methods are gradually replacing chemical treatments. Seed strengthening through priming with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi is one of the most efficient methods for improving and increasing the efficiency of seed yield in plant species. Mahlab species is one of the forest species of Zagros, which grows naturally and is in danger of destruction due to excessive exploitation, which has made its establishment and reproduction difficult. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in improving the growth components of the seeds of different Mahlab species populations in Isfahan province. Material and methods: This research was carried out considering two factors, including Mahlab seeds (10 different forest regions of Fereydounshahr and inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. For this purpose, the effect of seed inoculation of Mahlab species in 10 provenances of the forests of Fereydunshahr, Isfahan province with the most mycorrhizal fungi in five levels including no inoculation of mycorrhizal fungi, inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi Rhizophagus irregularis, Claroideoglomus etunicatumandFunneliformis mosseae. The treatment of three arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (MIX) on the germination parts of Mahlab species was done factorially in the form of a randomized complete block design with three replications for each treatment and 10 seedlings in a total of 150 pots. To determine the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the seeds, 100 Mahlab fruits were selected from each region and then the seed weight was measured. After applying mycorrhizal mushroom inoculation treatments, germination tests and germination indices were calculated. Results and discussion: The results of the analysis of variance showed that the effect of the region (different seed populations), inoculation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and their mutual effect on all investigated components including germination percentage, germination speed, seed vigor index, germination strength, and root length in 1% probability level were significant. The seeds of the Mahlab variety in Chal Khalil 1 and 2 and Pushtkoh 3 Durak 2 areas had better seed germination indicators. So, the highest percentage of seed germination (28.69%), seed vigor index (39.09), germination power (27.98), germination speed (0.08), root length of seeds (15.5 mm), and maximum length of the seed stem (12.72 mm) was observed in Chal Khalil 1 area, and Chal Khalil 2 area and Peshtkouh 3-Durak 2 were ranked next. The results of comparing the average effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the components of seed germination showed that fungal treatments improved seed germination indices in all different regions (seed provenance) and the lowest germination indices were in the non-inoculation treatment. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi were observed. The results showed that mixed inoculation treatment had the greatest effect on the indicators of seed germination seed vigor index (39.20), germination strength (22.38 %), root length (11.66 mm), and stem length (13.76 mm) compared to other treatments. Funneliformis mosseae mycorrhizal fungus treatment also showed the best performance in seed germination speed index (0.45). Also, in all different seed genotypes, the highest percentage of germination belonged to the arbuscular mycorrhizal Funneliformis mosseae treatment (22.55%). Conclusion: In general, the results showed that the source of seed collection and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi were effective in the growth and establishment of Mahlab species seeds. Seed inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi causes the cultivation of healthy and resistant seedlings by increasing and improving the speed, strength, and percentage of seed germination, seed vigor index, and roots length and stem length of Mahlab species seedlings. Therefore, these fungi can be used for the sustainable mass propagation of Mahlab species. Introduction: Biofortification of seeds with biofertilizers is one of the newest ways to improve seed quality. Different biological seed priming methods are gradually replacing chemical treatments. Seed strengthening through priming with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi is one of the most efficient methods for improving and increasing the efficiency of seed yield in plant species. Mahlab species is one of the forest species of Zagros, which grows naturally and is in danger of destruction due to excessive exploitation, which has made its establishment and reproduction difficult. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in improving the growth components of the seeds of different Mahlab species populations in Isfahan province. Material and methods: This research was carried out considering two factors, including Mahlab seeds (10 different forest regions of Fereydounshahr and inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. For this purpose, the effect of seed inoculation of Mahlab species in 10 provenances of the forests of Fereydunshahr, Isfahan province with the most mycorrhizal fungi in five levels including no inoculation of mycorrhizal fungi, inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi Rhizophagus irregularis, Claroideoglomus etunicatumandFunneliformis mosseae. The treatment of three arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (MIX) on the germination parts of Mahlab species was done factorially in the form of a randomized complete block design with three replications for each treatment and 10 seedlings in a total of 150 pots. To determine the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the seeds, 100 Mahlab fruits were selected from each region and then the seed weight was measured. After applying mycorrhizal mushroom inoculation treatments, germination tests and germination indices were calculated. Results and discussion: The results of the analysis of variance showed that the effect of the region (different seed populations), inoculation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and their mutual effect on all investigated components including germination percentage, germination speed, seed vigor index, germination strength, and root length in 1% probability level were significant. The seeds of the Mahlab variety in Chal Khalil 1 and 2 and Pushtkoh 3 Durak 2 areas had better seed germination indicators. So, the highest percentage of seed germination (28.69%), seed vigor index (39.09), germination power (27.98), germination speed (0.08), root length of seeds (15.5 mm), and maximum length of the seed stem (12.72 mm) was observed in Chal Khalil 1 area, and Chal Khalil 2 area and Peshtkouh 3-Durak 2 were ranked next. The results of comparing the average effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the components of seed germination showed that fungal treatments improved seed germination indices in all different regions (seed provenance) and the lowest germination indices were in the non-inoculation treatment. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi were observed. The results showed that mixed inoculation treatment had the greatest effect on the indicators of seed germination seed vigor index (39.20), germination strength (22.38 %), root length (11.66 mm), and stem length (13.76 mm) compared to other treatments. Funneliformis mosseae mycorrhizal fungus treatment also showed the best performance in seed germination speed index (0.45). Also, in all different seed genotypes, the highest percentage of germination belonged to the arbuscular mycorrhizal Funneliformis mosseae treatment (22.55%). Conclusion: In general, the results showed that the source of seed collection and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi were effective in the growth and establishment of Mahlab species seeds. Seed inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi causes the cultivation of healthy and resistant seedlings by increasing and improving the speed, strength, and percentage of seed germination, seed vigor index, and roots length and stem length of Mahlab species seedlings. Therefore, these fungi can be used for the sustainable mass propagation of Mahlab species.

https://envs.sbu.ac.ir/article_105978_8c300b33614c976f197033e545e6d406.pdf

Shahid Beheshti University Advanced Environmental Sciences 3115-7173 23 4 2026 05 23 Analysis of Past Transformations and Future Visualization of Peri-Urban Landscape and the Fragmentation of Ecosystems Using Scientometric Approach Analysis of Past Transformations and Future Visualization of Peri-Urban Landscape and the Fragmentation of Ecosystems Using Scientometric Approach 839 862 105977 10.48308/envs.2025.236768.1435 FA Naser Shafiei Sabet Department of Geography, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran 0000-0003-3444-6652 Faezeh Ebrahimipour Department of Geography, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran Journal Article Introduction: previous researches have evaluated many landscape transformations; But in the current research, based on the literature and background of the subject, the gap and challenge between what should be; That is, the transformation of the landscape based on the thoughtful planning and policy-making system and what is observed in the form of heterogeneous and unstable transformations in the rural ecosystems in the peripheral areas of the city; It reveals the value and necessity of this research. In the meantime, paying attention to the reflections of the study field has led to numerous researches. But, so far, no comprehensive study has been conducted to investigate the network analysis of this field. Material and methods: to fill this gap, by reviewing the writings related to the subject; This research collected the articles published on the subject from the Scopus database in the years 2002 to 2024 and then 155 articles were selected based on the literature review of this field. Therefore, the research method of this study is based on a three-stage protocol of data collection regulation, monitoring, and analysis.. Finally, VOSviewer software was used to analyze both the citations of previous researches, the authorship and the occurrence of key words. Results and discussion: The results revealed that from 2002 to 2024, research in the field of studies, the number of publications and the annual average number of citations along with the number of main journals publishing these articles have increased. It should be mentioned that so far 52 countries/regions around the world participated in the study. Currently, some active countries such as the United States, China, Italy, India, Spain, and Germany have published the most scientific documents in the field of studies on the transformation of the landscape of the surrounding environment of the city and the fragmentation of rural ecosystems and related research such as urban creeping expansion and land use change. . The density and accumulation of words in the cluster space; The focus and direction of researches in the field of studies up to 2016, older researches: creeping expansion of the city, land use, landscape ecology of land use change, fragmentation of the habitat in the center and core of the map. But, since 2018, the emergence of hotter and newer research questions on climate change, ecosystem services, biodiversity, forests, population statistics, spatial and landscape analysis, and landscape planning, etc., have created new opportunities for future research in this area. They provide the ground. Conclusion: Based on the results, future research should focus on "how to develop policies consistent with the compatible transformation of the landscape of the surrounding areas of the city and land use management from the dual dimension of time and space", "how to expand the city", "how to use rural ecosystems" And finally, how to consider various elements with the aim of achieving the harmony of social, economic, and ecological elements and ensuring the sustainable use of the surrounding landscape and preventing the fragmentation of landscapes. It should be noted that the innovation of the present research is due to the fact that before this meta-analysis with the combined approach of adaptive and dynamic transformation of the landscape of the surrounding environment of the city and related studies such as the creeping expansion of the city and transformation of land use has not been done in the form of a comprehensive research. is The present results, with a comprehensive review of the studies, are a reference for future researches, especially considering the increasing focus and emphasis on researches parallel to the current research. Introduction: previous researches have evaluated many landscape transformations; But in the current research, based on the literature and background of the subject, the gap and challenge between what should be; That is, the transformation of the landscape based on the thoughtful planning and policy-making system and what is observed in the form of heterogeneous and unstable transformations in the rural ecosystems in the peripheral areas of the city; It reveals the value and necessity of this research. In the meantime, paying attention to the reflections of the study field has led to numerous researches. But, so far, no comprehensive study has been conducted to investigate the network analysis of this field. Material and methods: to fill this gap, by reviewing the writings related to the subject; This research collected the articles published on the subject from the Scopus database in the years 2002 to 2024 and then 155 articles were selected based on the literature review of this field. Therefore, the research method of this study is based on a three-stage protocol of data collection regulation, monitoring, and analysis.. Finally, VOSviewer software was used to analyze both the citations of previous researches, the authorship and the occurrence of key words. Results and discussion: The results revealed that from 2002 to 2024, research in the field of studies, the number of publications and the annual average number of citations along with the number of main journals publishing these articles have increased. It should be mentioned that so far 52 countries/regions around the world participated in the study. Currently, some active countries such as the United States, China, Italy, India, Spain, and Germany have published the most scientific documents in the field of studies on the transformation of the landscape of the surrounding environment of the city and the fragmentation of rural ecosystems and related research such as urban creeping expansion and land use change. . The density and accumulation of words in the cluster space; The focus and direction of researches in the field of studies up to 2016, older researches: creeping expansion of the city, land use, landscape ecology of land use change, fragmentation of the habitat in the center and core of the map. But, since 2018, the emergence of hotter and newer research questions on climate change, ecosystem services, biodiversity, forests, population statistics, spatial and landscape analysis, and landscape planning, etc., have created new opportunities for future research in this area. They provide the ground. Conclusion: Based on the results, future research should focus on "how to develop policies consistent with the compatible transformation of the landscape of the surrounding areas of the city and land use management from the dual dimension of time and space", "how to expand the city", "how to use rural ecosystems" And finally, how to consider various elements with the aim of achieving the harmony of social, economic, and ecological elements and ensuring the sustainable use of the surrounding landscape and preventing the fragmentation of landscapes. It should be noted that the innovation of the present research is due to the fact that before this meta-analysis with the combined approach of adaptive and dynamic transformation of the landscape of the surrounding environment of the city and related studies such as the creeping expansion of the city and transformation of land use has not been done in the form of a comprehensive research. is The present results, with a comprehensive review of the studies, are a reference for future researches, especially considering the increasing focus and emphasis on researches parallel to the current research.

https://envs.sbu.ac.ir/article_105977_222c0fee94f53df24b549c60acf50df4.pdf

Shahid Beheshti University Advanced Environmental Sciences 3115-7173 23 4 2026 05 24 Assessing the Severity of Tsunami Effects on the Environment Using Integrated GIS and Remote Sensing Systems (Case Study: Ishinomaki, Japan) Assessing the Severity of Tsunami Effects on the Environment Using Integrated GIS and Remote Sensing Systems (Case Study: Ishinomaki, Japan) 863 878 105001 10.48308/envs.2024.1437 FA Mohammad Reza Poursaber Department of Structure and Earthquake, Faculty of Civil, Water and Environmental Engineering, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran 0009-0001-7372-9498 Yasuo Ariki Research Center for Urban Safety and Security, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan Pedram Omidian Faculty of Civil and Environmental,Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran 0000-0002-5047-6133 Mohammad Hossein Tahriri Department of Structure and Earthquake, Faculty of Civil, Water and Environmental Engineering, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran 0000-0002-4545-8037 Journal Article Introduction: Earthquakes have long been an integral part of human life. Since this natural phenomenon causes damage to humans and the environment, it is necessary to study and understand it. This natural phenomenon is known as a global problem, but it is not the same in America, Japan, Iran or any other country. The Tohoku earthquake that occurred on March 11, 2011, is the largest earthquake (with Mw=9) in the history of Japan. Less than an hour after the earthquake, a tsunami hit the east coast of Japan. This tsunami affected an area of about 561 square kilometers and damaged more than 400,000 buildings. According to official reports, 15,850 people were killed, 6011 were injured and 3,287 were missing, 125,000 buildings were destroyed or damaged, 4.4 million buildings with a power outage, and 1.5 million buildings with water disruptions, causing huge damage to infrastructure and the country's environment has entered the eastern shore of Hashima Island, Japan Material and methods: Considering the large amount of information needed for natural disaster management, it is clear that the use of visual interpretations cannot answer this large amount of calculations. For example, the number of reports related to damage to buildings after an earthquake or the damaged city and damaged environment in a tsunami may reach a thousand reports or more. Each of these reports should be reviewed separately to determine the degree of damage the structure under investigation had. In this study, based on the damage estimation map that was prepared using satellite data and images (Geoeye-1 satellite) before and after the crisis for this city, the amount of damage to structures such as buildings mentioned has been calculated to the pollution caused by them in the environment and non-structural areas such as Greenfield and the results have been compared with the data obtained from the field visit. In this study, according to the damage map and vulnerability estimation for the studied area, several parameters such as structural or non-structural, use, and severity of environmental damage have been considered. Results and discussion: The results showed that the type of structural components has a significant effect on the failure. In addition to this, the remarkable point in this study is that the buildings that were located near the water were severely damaged. In this study, the existing Facilities for Agriculture, Forest, and Fishery in the investigated area are located at a close distance on the coastline and have suffered the most severe damage. On the other hand, Greenfield has suffered severe damage due to their low resistance to tsunami. Conclusion: The purpose of this study is to use a method based on remote sensing. The use of this method in the prevention and preparedness stage of crisis management before the occurrence of natural disasters has high accuracy for quick planning. The lessons learned from the results will be very useful for researchers and managers in planning and stages of crisis management and reducing damages in future events. Introduction: Earthquakes have long been an integral part of human life. Since this natural phenomenon causes damage to humans and the environment, it is necessary to study and understand it. This natural phenomenon is known as a global problem, but it is not the same in America, Japan, Iran or any other country. The Tohoku earthquake that occurred on March 11, 2011, is the largest earthquake (with Mw=9) in the history of Japan. Less than an hour after the earthquake, a tsunami hit the east coast of Japan. This tsunami affected an area of about 561 square kilometers and damaged more than 400,000 buildings. According to official reports, 15,850 people were killed, 6011 were injured and 3,287 were missing, 125,000 buildings were destroyed or damaged, 4.4 million buildings with a power outage, and 1.5 million buildings with water disruptions, causing huge damage to infrastructure and the country's environment has entered the eastern shore of Hashima Island, Japan Material and methods: Considering the large amount of information needed for natural disaster management, it is clear that the use of visual interpretations cannot answer this large amount of calculations. For example, the number of reports related to damage to buildings after an earthquake or the damaged city and damaged environment in a tsunami may reach a thousand reports or more. Each of these reports should be reviewed separately to determine the degree of damage the structure under investigation had. In this study, based on the damage estimation map that was prepared using satellite data and images (Geoeye-1 satellite) before and after the crisis for this city, the amount of damage to structures such as buildings mentioned has been calculated to the pollution caused by them in the environment and non-structural areas such as Greenfield and the results have been compared with the data obtained from the field visit. In this study, according to the damage map and vulnerability estimation for the studied area, several parameters such as structural or non-structural, use, and severity of environmental damage have been considered. Results and discussion: The results showed that the type of structural components has a significant effect on the failure. In addition to this, the remarkable point in this study is that the buildings that were located near the water were severely damaged. In this study, the existing Facilities for Agriculture, Forest, and Fishery in the investigated area are located at a close distance on the coastline and have suffered the most severe damage. On the other hand, Greenfield has suffered severe damage due to their low resistance to tsunami. Conclusion: The purpose of this study is to use a method based on remote sensing. The use of this method in the prevention and preparedness stage of crisis management before the occurrence of natural disasters has high accuracy for quick planning. The lessons learned from the results will be very useful for researchers and managers in planning and stages of crisis management and reducing damages in future events.

https://envs.sbu.ac.ir/article_105001_5ba2a1149d4e7bc8860ae1f10359bdd1.pdf

Shahid Beheshti University Advanced Environmental Sciences 3115-7173 23 4 2026 05 25 Quantitative Source Apportionment of Potentially Toxic Elements Input into the Urban Soils of Hamedan Quantitative Source Apportionment of Potentially Toxic Elements Input into the Urban Soils of Hamedan 879 896 105979 10.48308/envs.2025.237077.1443 FA Soheil Sobhan Ardakani Department of the Environment, College of Basic Sciences, Hamedan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Hamedan, Iran 0000-0002-6038-0514 Nayereh Sadat Hosseini Department of the Environment, College of Basic Sciences, Hamedan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Hamedan, Iran Journal Article Introduction: The urban soil contamination with potentially toxic elements (PTEs) has elicited great public attention worldwide due to its potential threats to urban dwellers health and environmental sustainability. In this regard, identifying and quantifying the PTE pollution sources are of particular importance in urban soil pollution control as well as management and reduce potential environmental and health risk. Therefore, this research was conducted to identify and quantify of potentially toxic element sources (As, Pb, Cu, Mn, and Ni) in surface soil of Hamedan city in 2023. Materials and methods: In this study, a total of 162 urban surface soil samples were collected from 18 sampling sites from three different functional regions (i.e. residential, commercial, and industrial). Following sample preparation and acid digestion, the concentrations of the analyzed elements were determined using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Additionally, the enrichment factor (EF) was calculated to assess the level of contamination and enrichment associated with these elements. Also, The Pearson’s correlation coefficient (PCC), Principal Component Analyses (PCA), Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA), and Absolute principal component score followed by multiple linear regression (APCS/MLR) model were utilized to identify and quantify the sources of soil PTEs pollution. Statistical analyses of data were done using SPSS software. Results and discussion: The results from determining the content of the elements showed that the highest average content of As, Cu, and Ni (mg/kg) with 6.88, 30.9, and 24.3, respectively, were belonged to the industrial areas and for Pb and Mn with 31.2 and 293, respectively, were belonged to the commercial areas, revealing the effect of various urban activities and land uses on the spatial variations of the PTE contents. The average EF value reflected "moderate" to "very severe" enrichment conditions in the study area. The results of source identifying based on the PCC, PCA, and HCA showed that the traffic emissions, industrial-geological emissions, and fossil fuel combustion have been three main sources of soil PTEs contamination in Hamedan city. The results obtained of the APCS/MLR model showed that the traffic emissions, industrial-geological emissions, and fossil fuel combustion accounted 56.0%, 30.0% and 14.0%, of contribution the PTE pollution in study area, respectively. Additionally, the results of determining the quantitative contribution of pollution sources for each PTEs represented that Pb and Mn mainly originated from traffic emissions; whereas, Cu and Ni emitted from industrial-geological emissions; meanwhile, As mainly derived from fossil fuel combustion emissions. Notably, the PTEs contamination in soil of city of Hamedan were mainly released from the anthropogenic origin (70.0%) and the traffic emissions as the primary pollution source (56.0%) had the highest contribution to the PTE pollution in study area. Conclusion: Based on the results obtained, traffic was the major contribution sources of As, Pb, Cu, Mn, and Ni pollution in the soil of city of Hamedan; therefore, reducing the emission of elements from traffic sources is the most effective and necessary strategy of pollution control for maintaining the health of both the urban ecosystem and citizens. In this regard, optimize and improve of urban transportation is recommended for management and control policies and strategies, plan to create and develop special ways for public transportation, modernize the public transportation fleet using electric vehicles, and encourage citizens to use public transportation. In general, the results of this research emphasized the need to determine the quantitative contribution of pollution sources to facilitate the management and effective reduction of environmental pollutants. Introduction: The urban soil contamination with potentially toxic elements (PTEs) has elicited great public attention worldwide due to its potential threats to urban dwellers health and environmental sustainability. In this regard, identifying and quantifying the PTE pollution sources are of particular importance in urban soil pollution control as well as management and reduce potential environmental and health risk. Therefore, this research was conducted to identify and quantify of potentially toxic element sources (As, Pb, Cu, Mn, and Ni) in surface soil of Hamedan city in 2023. Materials and methods: In this study, a total of 162 urban surface soil samples were collected from 18 sampling sites from three different functional regions (i.e. residential, commercial, and industrial). Following sample preparation and acid digestion, the concentrations of the analyzed elements were determined using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Additionally, the enrichment factor (EF) was calculated to assess the level of contamination and enrichment associated with these elements. Also, The Pearson’s correlation coefficient (PCC), Principal Component Analyses (PCA), Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA), and Absolute principal component score followed by multiple linear regression (APCS/MLR) model were utilized to identify and quantify the sources of soil PTEs pollution. Statistical analyses of data were done using SPSS software. Results and discussion: The results from determining the content of the elements showed that the highest average content of As, Cu, and Ni (mg/kg) with 6.88, 30.9, and 24.3, respectively, were belonged to the industrial areas and for Pb and Mn with 31.2 and 293, respectively, were belonged to the commercial areas, revealing the effect of various urban activities and land uses on the spatial variations of the PTE contents. The average EF value reflected "moderate" to "very severe" enrichment conditions in the study area. The results of source identifying based on the PCC, PCA, and HCA showed that the traffic emissions, industrial-geological emissions, and fossil fuel combustion have been three main sources of soil PTEs contamination in Hamedan city. The results obtained of the APCS/MLR model showed that the traffic emissions, industrial-geological emissions, and fossil fuel combustion accounted 56.0%, 30.0% and 14.0%, of contribution the PTE pollution in study area, respectively. Additionally, the results of determining the quantitative contribution of pollution sources for each PTEs represented that Pb and Mn mainly originated from traffic emissions; whereas, Cu and Ni emitted from industrial-geological emissions; meanwhile, As mainly derived from fossil fuel combustion emissions. Notably, the PTEs contamination in soil of city of Hamedan were mainly released from the anthropogenic origin (70.0%) and the traffic emissions as the primary pollution source (56.0%) had the highest contribution to the PTE pollution in study area. Conclusion: Based on the results obtained, traffic was the major contribution sources of As, Pb, Cu, Mn, and Ni pollution in the soil of city of Hamedan; therefore, reducing the emission of elements from traffic sources is the most effective and necessary strategy of pollution control for maintaining the health of both the urban ecosystem and citizens. In this regard, optimize and improve of urban transportation is recommended for management and control policies and strategies, plan to create and develop special ways for public transportation, modernize the public transportation fleet using electric vehicles, and encourage citizens to use public transportation. In general, the results of this research emphasized the need to determine the quantitative contribution of pollution sources to facilitate the management and effective reduction of environmental pollutants.

https://envs.sbu.ac.ir/article_105979_02e6632e933d427a14c95b99437b0544.pdf

Shahid Beheshti University Advanced Environmental Sciences 3115-7173 23 4 2025 12 22 Pollution Removal and Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation of the Ciprofloxacin Antibiotic in Aqueous Solutions Using a MXene/g-C3N4 Hybrid Nanocomposite Pollution Removal and Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation of the Ciprofloxacin Antibiotic in Aqueous Solutions Using a MXene/g-C3N4 Hybrid Nanocomposite 897 914 105196 10.48308/envs.2024.1444 FA Mehran Bijari Department of Environmental Technologies, Environmental Sciences Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran 0009-0000-5574-5323 Afsaneh Shahbazi Department of Environmental Technologies, Environmental Sciences Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran Vahid Vatanpour Department of Analytical and Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran Habibullah Yunesi Department of Environment Science, Faculty of Natural Resources and Marine Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Mazandaran, Noor, Iran Journal Article 2024 10 03 Introduction: The contamination of water resources with antibiotics has emerged as a significant global challenge due to its detrimental effects on both the environment and human health. Photocatalytic processes have been recognized as an effective strategy for removing these hazardous contaminants. In this study, a novel nanocomposite based on graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) and MXene (Ti3C2) nanosheets was synthesized and evaluated for the photocatalytic degradation of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin. Material and methods: Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) was synthesized through the thermal polymerization of melamine at 550°C in a tube furnace. MXene (Ti3C2) nanosheets were prepared by chemically etching the AlC2 MAX phase with a solution of HCl/LiF for 48 hours. MXene/g-C3N4 nanocomposites were synthesized using a simple self-assembly method that relies on the electrostatic attraction between the graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets and varying weight percentages of MXene nanosheets (0.1%, 0.3%, 0.5%, 0.7%, and 0.9% by weight). The synthesized nanomaterials were characterized using XRD, BET, DRS, and PL analyses. Results and discussion: X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of the MXene/g-C3N4 nanocomposite revealed characteristic peaks at 13° and 27°, corresponding to graphitic carbon nitride, as well as peaks at 9° and 62°, attributable to MXene ((Ti3C2) nanosheets. These findings indicate the preservation of the primary structures of both nanomaterials within the composite and confirm the successful synthesis of the nanocomposite. Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis demonstrated that bulk Graphitic carbon nitride exhibited the lowest surface area of 6.3 m²/g among the samples, which resulted in negligible photocatalytic performance. Following protonation with hydrochloric acid and ultrasonic treatment, the surface area of the bulk sample increased to 25.6 m²/g for graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets. Furthermore, the specific surface areas of MXene nanosheets and the MXene/g-C3N4 nanocomposite with a 7 wt% MXene loading (CN/MX7) were measured at 20.2 m²/g and 18.3 m²/g, respectively. Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) analysis indicated that the bandgap energy of the photocatalysts decreased from 2.72 eV for the bulk sample to 2.47 eV for the CN/MX7 nanocomposite, which enhances charge carrier separation and improves photocatalytic activity. The reduced intensity of the photoluminescence (PL) spectra of the synthesized photocatalysts confirmed a lower rate of electron-hole recombination. Results from ciprofloxacin antibiotic removal experiments demonstrated that the photocatalyst synthesized with a 7 wt% MXene loading (CN/MX7) achieved the highest removal percentage of 94.02% at a ciprofloxacin concentration of 10 mg/L, a photocatalyst dosage of 1 g/L, a pH of 5, and under 50 W LED visible light irradiation for 120 minutes. Kinetic studies revealed that the photocatalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin by the CN/MX7 photocatalyst followed a pseudo-first-order kinetic model. Additionally, recyclability and stability tests indicated that the CN/MX7 photocatalyst retained 96% of its photocatalytic degradation capability after five cycles of antibiotic removal and photocatalyst regeneration. Conclusion: This research demonstrated that the CN/MX7 nanocomposite, due to the unique properties of graphitic carbon nitride and MXene (Ti3C2) nanosheets, serves as a highly efficient photocatalyst. The nanocomposite effectively removed the antibiotic ciprofloxacin from aqueous solutions, thereby presenting itself as a viable option for purifying water contaminated with pharmaceutical substances. Introduction: The contamination of water resources with antibiotics has emerged as a significant global challenge due to its detrimental effects on both the environment and human health. Photocatalytic processes have been recognized as an effective strategy for removing these hazardous contaminants. In this study, a novel nanocomposite based on graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) and MXene (Ti3C2) nanosheets was synthesized and evaluated for the photocatalytic degradation of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin. Material and methods: Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) was synthesized through the thermal polymerization of melamine at 550°C in a tube furnace. MXene (Ti3C2) nanosheets were prepared by chemically etching the AlC2 MAX phase with a solution of HCl/LiF for 48 hours. MXene/g-C3N4 nanocomposites were synthesized using a simple self-assembly method that relies on the electrostatic attraction between the graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets and varying weight percentages of MXene nanosheets (0.1%, 0.3%, 0.5%, 0.7%, and 0.9% by weight). The synthesized nanomaterials were characterized using XRD, BET, DRS, and PL analyses. Results and discussion: X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of the MXene/g-C3N4 nanocomposite revealed characteristic peaks at 13° and 27°, corresponding to graphitic carbon nitride, as well as peaks at 9° and 62°, attributable to MXene ((Ti3C2) nanosheets. These findings indicate the preservation of the primary structures of both nanomaterials within the composite and confirm the successful synthesis of the nanocomposite. Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis demonstrated that bulk Graphitic carbon nitride exhibited the lowest surface area of 6.3 m²/g among the samples, which resulted in negligible photocatalytic performance. Following protonation with hydrochloric acid and ultrasonic treatment, the surface area of the bulk sample increased to 25.6 m²/g for graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets. Furthermore, the specific surface areas of MXene nanosheets and the MXene/g-C3N4 nanocomposite with a 7 wt% MXene loading (CN/MX7) were measured at 20.2 m²/g and 18.3 m²/g, respectively. Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) analysis indicated that the bandgap energy of the photocatalysts decreased from 2.72 eV for the bulk sample to 2.47 eV for the CN/MX7 nanocomposite, which enhances charge carrier separation and improves photocatalytic activity. The reduced intensity of the photoluminescence (PL) spectra of the synthesized photocatalysts confirmed a lower rate of electron-hole recombination. Results from ciprofloxacin antibiotic removal experiments demonstrated that the photocatalyst synthesized with a 7 wt% MXene loading (CN/MX7) achieved the highest removal percentage of 94.02% at a ciprofloxacin concentration of 10 mg/L, a photocatalyst dosage of 1 g/L, a pH of 5, and under 50 W LED visible light irradiation for 120 minutes. Kinetic studies revealed that the photocatalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin by the CN/MX7 photocatalyst followed a pseudo-first-order kinetic model. Additionally, recyclability and stability tests indicated that the CN/MX7 photocatalyst retained 96% of its photocatalytic degradation capability after five cycles of antibiotic removal and photocatalyst regeneration. Conclusion: This research demonstrated that the CN/MX7 nanocomposite, due to the unique properties of graphitic carbon nitride and MXene (Ti3C2) nanosheets, serves as a highly efficient photocatalyst. The nanocomposite effectively removed the antibiotic ciprofloxacin from aqueous solutions, thereby presenting itself as a viable option for purifying water contaminated with pharmaceutical substances.

https://envs.sbu.ac.ir/article_105196_ea592677396089904824697bb89dae3c.pdf

Shahid Beheshti University Advanced Environmental Sciences 3115-7173 23 4 2025 12 22 Antecedents,, Processes, and Outcomes of the Pro-Environmental Behaviors Development in High School Students ( A Theory-Generating Meta-Synthesis Approach) Antecedents,, Processes, and Outcomes of the Pro-Environmental Behaviors Development in High School Students ( A Theory-Generating Meta-Synthesis Approach) 915 936 105980 10.48308/envs.2024.237423.1453 FA Mehdi Mohammadi Department of Educational Management and Planning, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran 0000-0002-0121-5092 Shirin Khazaki Department of Educational Management and Planning, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran 0000-0002-7961-5029 Ghasem Salimi Department of Educational Management and Planning, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran Maryam Shafiei Sarvestani Department of Educational Management and Planning, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran Masoumeh Mohtaram Department of Educational Management and Planning, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran Journal Article 2024 11 01 Background: Since the beginning of the 21st century, it has become clear that environmental problems such as climate change, pollution, and deforestation are major challenges that threaten the health, economic prospects, and water and food supply of people around the world. It is also generally accepted that human behavior is one of the main causes of these environmental problems. One of the ongoing and growing concerns of environmental psychology is finding ways to change people's behavior to reverse environmental problems while maintaining human well-being and quality of life. Purpose: The general purpose of this research was to present a model that explains the antecedents, processes, and consequences of the development of pro-environmental behaviors in high school students. Materials and methods: The approach of this study was synthesis research and its current research method was theoretical synthesis. Based on this, the keywords such as “human* behaviour*” OR “pro-environmental behaviour*” OR “environmental behaviour*” OR “sustainable behaviour*” the studies related to the subject in the Latin databases of Springer, Emerald, Wiley, Science Direct, Taylor & Francis, EBESCO, Pro-Quest, Google Scholar, Scopus, Elsiever and Farsi Magiran, Noormagz, and SID were identified. After evaluating and screening the articles and dissertations, finally, 40 of articles and theses were selected and analyzed for use in the research. The method of data analysis was based on grounded theory and included open, central, and selective coding. Findings: The findings of the research in the axis of antecedents consist of two axial code of individual including nine open codes such as including open codes such as environmental thinking, environmental attitude and environmental beliefs, , and social axial code including four open codes such as environmental attitudes of society, altruistic values, and supporting the environment in society, and axial code of students’ demographic charactrestics as moderator variables including three open codes such as gender, years of education, and training courses as moderators. These antecedents create the axial code of intention of doing pro-environmental behaviors including three open codes such as the intention of sacrifice, the intention of experiencing green activities, and the intention of recommending others to green activities in students. Based on students’intention, axial code of special programs for students in biology lessons including seven open codes such as teaching and learning approaches and learning goals including seven open codes such as the development of reasoning skills, moral reasoning in the environmental field and axial code of special programs for biology teachers including teaching and learning approaches including five open codes and their learning goals including six open codes such as getting to know the appropriate and relevant environmental viewpoints, understanding and distinguishing between different viewpoints in relation to socio-scientific environmental issues, and strengthening epistemological beliefs and strengthening the reasoning and logical skills of teachers about environmental issues. Based on these programs, axial code of pro-environmental behaviors including eight open codes including recycling, organic food consumption, saving and protecting green energy, environmentally friendly transportation, waste management, water or energy conservation, purchasing water or recycled goods, and environmental citizenship are formed. Discussion and conclusion: The model presented in this study can serve as a practical guide for developing Pro-environmental behaviors in secondary school. Therefore, based on the findings, it can be seen that Pro-environmental behaviors can be improved in different ways. Pro-environmental beliefs, values, and attitudes should be established as a norm in students, families, and society to create a desire to perform Pro-environmental behaviors in them, then to change the behavior of students and teachers, specific educational programs should be designed to lead to the emergence of Pro-environmental behaviors in them. Background: Since the beginning of the 21st century, it has become clear that environmental problems such as climate change, pollution, and deforestation are major challenges that threaten the health, economic prospects, and water and food supply of people around the world. It is also generally accepted that human behavior is one of the main causes of these environmental problems. One of the ongoing and growing concerns of environmental psychology is finding ways to change people's behavior to reverse environmental problems while maintaining human well-being and quality of life. Purpose: The general purpose of this research was to present a model that explains the antecedents, processes, and consequences of the development of pro-environmental behaviors in high school students. Materials and methods: The approach of this study was synthesis research and its current research method was theoretical synthesis. Based on this, the keywords such as “human* behaviour*” OR “pro-environmental behaviour*” OR “environmental behaviour*” OR “sustainable behaviour*” the studies related to the subject in the Latin databases of Springer, Emerald, Wiley, Science Direct, Taylor & Francis, EBESCO, Pro-Quest, Google Scholar, Scopus, Elsiever and Farsi Magiran, Noormagz, and SID were identified. After evaluating and screening the articles and dissertations, finally, 40 of articles and theses were selected and analyzed for use in the research. The method of data analysis was based on grounded theory and included open, central, and selective coding. Findings: The findings of the research in the axis of antecedents consist of two axial code of individual including nine open codes such as including open codes such as environmental thinking, environmental attitude and environmental beliefs, , and social axial code including four open codes such as environmental attitudes of society, altruistic values, and supporting the environment in society, and axial code of students’ demographic charactrestics as moderator variables including three open codes such as gender, years of education, and training courses as moderators. These antecedents create the axial code of intention of doing pro-environmental behaviors including three open codes such as the intention of sacrifice, the intention of experiencing green activities, and the intention of recommending others to green activities in students. Based on students’intention, axial code of special programs for students in biology lessons including seven open codes such as teaching and learning approaches and learning goals including seven open codes such as the development of reasoning skills, moral reasoning in the environmental field and axial code of special programs for biology teachers including teaching and learning approaches including five open codes and their learning goals including six open codes such as getting to know the appropriate and relevant environmental viewpoints, understanding and distinguishing between different viewpoints in relation to socio-scientific environmental issues, and strengthening epistemological beliefs and strengthening the reasoning and logical skills of teachers about environmental issues. Based on these programs, axial code of pro-environmental behaviors including eight open codes including recycling, organic food consumption, saving and protecting green energy, environmentally friendly transportation, waste management, water or energy conservation, purchasing water or recycled goods, and environmental citizenship are formed. Discussion and conclusion: The model presented in this study can serve as a practical guide for developing Pro-environmental behaviors in secondary school. Therefore, based on the findings, it can be seen that Pro-environmental behaviors can be improved in different ways. Pro-environmental beliefs, values, and attitudes should be established as a norm in students, families, and society to create a desire to perform Pro-environmental behaviors in them, then to change the behavior of students and teachers, specific educational programs should be designed to lead to the emergence of Pro-environmental behaviors in them.

https://envs.sbu.ac.ir/article_105980_15f4a59f979ac457faa02e55be1ad629.pdf

Shahid Beheshti University Advanced Environmental Sciences 3115-7173 23 4 2025 12 22 Evaluating the Environmental Costs of Electricity Generation in Tehran through a Combined Thermal-Solar System using the Water-Energy-Environment Nexus Approach Evaluating the Environmental Costs of Electricity Generation in Tehran through a Combined Thermal-Solar System using the Water-Energy-Environment Nexus Approach 937 952 105287 10.48308/envs.2025.1452 FA Nima Javidi Faculty of Environment, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran 0009-0003-5590-6344 Gholamreza Nabi Bidhendi Faculty of Environment, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran 0000-0001-9930-9080 Omid Tavakoli College of Chemical Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran Naser Mehrdadi Faculty of Environment, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran Journal Article 2024 10 31 Introduction: The environmental consequences of fossil fuel reliance, combined with the rising energy demand in urban centers, have prompted interest in combined thermal-solar power systems as a sustainable approach to electricity generation. Tehran, which depends heavily on thermal power plants, faces significant challenges from high greenhouse gas emissions, substantial water consumption, and increasing environmental costs. This study aims to assess the environmental costs of electricity generation through a combined thermal-solar system and compare it with thermal-only systems. Three major power plants—Tarasht, Montazer Ghaem, and Besat—were selected as case studies. The Water-Energy-Environment Nexus (WEE Nexus) approach was employed to analyze interactions between water and energy resources in these systems. Material and methods: The study utilized the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method to evaluate environmental impacts, focusing on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption. Data on fuel consumption, emissions, and water use were gathered from official reports and validated databases. For combined system modeling, SimaPro software was used, while SPSS was employed for data analysis. Independent T-tests and ANOVA were performed to assess the statistical significance of differences between the two scenarios (base and combined). The WEE Nexus approach was applied to evaluate the simultaneous reduction of water consumption and emissions. Results and discussion: The analysis revealed substantial environmental advantages of integrating solar energy with thermal systems across all three plants. The results indicate that the combined thermal-solar system significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, and environmental costs in all three power plants. In Montazer Ghaem Power Plant, CO2 emissions decreased by 28.1%, water consumption was reduced by 26.5%, and environmental costs dropped to $195.67 per gigawatt-hour, showing the best performance among the studied plants. The Besat Power Plant also showed significant reductions in emissions and water use, though slightly less than Montazer Ghaem due to lower solar irradiance. Tarasht Power Plant performed weaker than the others because of older equipment and lower efficiency. Statistical analysis using independent T-tests confirmed that the differences between the base and combined scenarios across all plants were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The WEE Nexus approach revealed that reducing water consumption through the incorporation of solar energy in thermal systems not only decreased emissions but also alleviated pressure on water resources, which is crucial for water-scarce areas like Tehran. The findings highlight the potential of solar energy as a complementary source for improving environmental sustainability in electricity generation. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that using combined thermal-solar systems in Tehran’s power plants can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, and environmental costs. Among the three plants, Montazer Ghaem performed the best due to favorable geographical conditions, modern equipment, and higher solar irradiance. The findings underline the importance of applying the WEE Nexus approach in energy planning to optimize water and energy management and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Future recommendations include investing in upgrades for older plants such as Tarasht to enhance efficiency, as well as expanding the solar component of combined systems. These actions could further reduce environmental impacts and provide a scalable model for similar metropolitan regions facing energy and resource challenges. Introduction: The environmental consequences of fossil fuel reliance, combined with the rising energy demand in urban centers, have prompted interest in combined thermal-solar power systems as a sustainable approach to electricity generation. Tehran, which depends heavily on thermal power plants, faces significant challenges from high greenhouse gas emissions, substantial water consumption, and increasing environmental costs. This study aims to assess the environmental costs of electricity generation through a combined thermal-solar system and compare it with thermal-only systems. Three major power plants—Tarasht, Montazer Ghaem, and Besat—were selected as case studies. The Water-Energy-Environment Nexus (WEE Nexus) approach was employed to analyze interactions between water and energy resources in these systems. Material and methods: The study utilized the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method to evaluate environmental impacts, focusing on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption. Data on fuel consumption, emissions, and water use were gathered from official reports and validated databases. For combined system modeling, SimaPro software was used, while SPSS was employed for data analysis. Independent T-tests and ANOVA were performed to assess the statistical significance of differences between the two scenarios (base and combined). The WEE Nexus approach was applied to evaluate the simultaneous reduction of water consumption and emissions. Results and discussion: The analysis revealed substantial environmental advantages of integrating solar energy with thermal systems across all three plants. The results indicate that the combined thermal-solar system significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, and environmental costs in all three power plants. In Montazer Ghaem Power Plant, CO2 emissions decreased by 28.1%, water consumption was reduced by 26.5%, and environmental costs dropped to $195.67 per gigawatt-hour, showing the best performance among the studied plants. The Besat Power Plant also showed significant reductions in emissions and water use, though slightly less than Montazer Ghaem due to lower solar irradiance. Tarasht Power Plant performed weaker than the others because of older equipment and lower efficiency. Statistical analysis using independent T-tests confirmed that the differences between the base and combined scenarios across all plants were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The WEE Nexus approach revealed that reducing water consumption through the incorporation of solar energy in thermal systems not only decreased emissions but also alleviated pressure on water resources, which is crucial for water-scarce areas like Tehran. The findings highlight the potential of solar energy as a complementary source for improving environmental sustainability in electricity generation. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that using combined thermal-solar systems in Tehran’s power plants can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, and environmental costs. Among the three plants, Montazer Ghaem performed the best due to favorable geographical conditions, modern equipment, and higher solar irradiance. The findings underline the importance of applying the WEE Nexus approach in energy planning to optimize water and energy management and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Future recommendations include investing in upgrades for older plants such as Tarasht to enhance efficiency, as well as expanding the solar component of combined systems. These actions could further reduce environmental impacts and provide a scalable model for similar metropolitan regions facing energy and resource challenges.

https://envs.sbu.ac.ir/article_105287_ff48b9639bdde74481fecaa86c7973b3.pdf

Shahid Beheshti University Advanced Environmental Sciences 3115-7173 23 4 2026 05 25 Evaluating Conservation Management Plans for Persian Fallow Deer at Primary Captive Breeding Sites in Iran Evaluating Conservation Management Plans for Persian Fallow Deer at Primary Captive Breeding Sites in Iran 953 972 105289 10.48308/envs.2024.1455 FA Hossein Yazdandad Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources and Marine Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University (TMU), Noor, Iran 0009-0005-1130-1428 Mahmood Soofi Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NR, United Kingdom Conservation Biogeography Lab, Department of Geography, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany 0000-0002-6167-2527 Hamid Reza Rezaei Department of wildlife management, Faculty of Fisheries and Environmental Sciences, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (GUASNR), Gorgan, Iran 0000-0002-9422-5600 Mansour Aliabadian Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad (FUM), Mashhad, Iran 0000-0002-3200-4853 Seyed Mahmoud Ghasempouri Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources and Marine Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University (TMU), Noor, Iran 0000-0003-1129-4406 Journal Article Introduction: The Persian fallow deer, Dama mesopotamica Brooke, 1875, is an endangered species according to the IUCN and is currently limited to captive breeding in Iran. The conservation management program has been relatively effective in some locations but unsuccessful in others, leading to its collapse. Key issues include a limited founder population, inbreeding, purity concerns, and genetic erosion. This study aims to evaluate the conservation program for fallow deer in its primary habitats. We assessed habitat and population conditions, management challenges, conservation strategies, human-induced and environmental threats, and the effectiveness of management measures at captive breeding sites across three provinces: Khuzestan, Mazandaran, and Azerbaijan. These factors significantly influence the operation of fallow deer captive breeding sites. Material and methods: We conducted periodic field surveys and interviews with experts to identify management challenges related to habitat and population,. Habitat suitable conditions at captive sites were compared using a scoring and ranking method. Human-induced and environmental threats, along with management opportunities, were assessed based on IUCN guidelines and expert interviews. A total of 44 and 35 factors respectively related to two main group of human-induced and environmental threats also 34 management opportunities were identified, each factor scored based on their intensity of effect (0-1-2-3). Next, we performed an analysis of variance to compare mean scores across the three sectors in different regions. The habitat suitability was evaluated and ranked in different sites compared to each other. Results and discussion: Despite a positive correlation between habitat conditions and demographic challenges, this relationship was not statistically significant (P-value > 0.30). Major threats included limited site area, resource shortages, predation, environmental disasters, adult fights, disease outbreaks, inbreeding, abortion or unviable newborns, snakebites, and occasionally unsuitable mountain topography. Habitat ranking revealed significant differences among sites (P-value < 0.05), with Dasht-e Naz Wildlife Refuge achieving the highest rank at 65%. Ashk Island and Dez National Park had medium rankings at 52% and 50%, respectively, while Karkheh ranked lower at 46%. Most regions were found to be at high or medium threat levels. The average levels of environmental and human-induced threats were calculated as follows: Dasht-e Naz (35%-24%), Ash Island (32%-45%), Karkheh National Park (55%-51%), and Dez (55%-60%). The average percentage of score for management opportunities was highest in Dasht-e Naz at 50%, followed by Karkheh at 48%, Ashk Island at 47%, and Dez at 39%. Analysis of variance indicated statistically significant differences between threat scores in both human-induced and environmental sectors (P-value < 0.01). However, no significant difference was observed in management situations across regions (P-value > 0.05). Overall management effectiveness was deemed basic across all regions, with notable deficiencies and limitations. Conclusion: Management decisions aimed at enhancing the conservation plan should include expanding site areas, restoring vegetation, constructing standard water troughs and forage mangers, providing water and forage resources, building water holes, controlling predators and competing herbivores, adjusting population structures, managing flood and fire risks, preventing livestock incursions and disease transmission, promoting sustainable tourism practices, installing closed-circuit cameras, reducing human-wildlife conflicts, educating local communities, and increasing public participation. Improving the conservation status of captive sites while also focusing on the release and monitoring of fallow deer in the wild remains a primary goal of captive breeding. Moreover, improving management decisions should take into account using advanced techniques and methods. Finally, continuous monitoring of management effectiveness should be integrated into action plans with long-term targeted implementation strategies. Introduction: The Persian fallow deer, Dama mesopotamica Brooke, 1875, is an endangered species according to the IUCN and is currently limited to captive breeding in Iran. The conservation management program has been relatively effective in some locations but unsuccessful in others, leading to its collapse. Key issues include a limited founder population, inbreeding, purity concerns, and genetic erosion. This study aims to evaluate the conservation program for fallow deer in its primary habitats. We assessed habitat and population conditions, management challenges, conservation strategies, human-induced and environmental threats, and the effectiveness of management measures at captive breeding sites across three provinces: Khuzestan, Mazandaran, and Azerbaijan. These factors significantly influence the operation of fallow deer captive breeding sites. Material and methods: We conducted periodic field surveys and interviews with experts to identify management challenges related to habitat and population,. Habitat suitable conditions at captive sites were compared using a scoring and ranking method. Human-induced and environmental threats, along with management opportunities, were assessed based on IUCN guidelines and expert interviews. A total of 44 and 35 factors respectively related to two main group of human-induced and environmental threats also 34 management opportunities were identified, each factor scored based on their intensity of effect (0-1-2-3). Next, we performed an analysis of variance to compare mean scores across the three sectors in different regions. The habitat suitability was evaluated and ranked in different sites compared to each other. Results and discussion: Despite a positive correlation between habitat conditions and demographic challenges, this relationship was not statistically significant (P-value > 0.30). Major threats included limited site area, resource shortages, predation, environmental disasters, adult fights, disease outbreaks, inbreeding, abortion or unviable newborns, snakebites, and occasionally unsuitable mountain topography. Habitat ranking revealed significant differences among sites (P-value < 0.05), with Dasht-e Naz Wildlife Refuge achieving the highest rank at 65%. Ashk Island and Dez National Park had medium rankings at 52% and 50%, respectively, while Karkheh ranked lower at 46%. Most regions were found to be at high or medium threat levels. The average levels of environmental and human-induced threats were calculated as follows: Dasht-e Naz (35%-24%), Ash Island (32%-45%), Karkheh National Park (55%-51%), and Dez (55%-60%). The average percentage of score for management opportunities was highest in Dasht-e Naz at 50%, followed by Karkheh at 48%, Ashk Island at 47%, and Dez at 39%. Analysis of variance indicated statistically significant differences between threat scores in both human-induced and environmental sectors (P-value < 0.01). However, no significant difference was observed in management situations across regions (P-value > 0.05). Overall management effectiveness was deemed basic across all regions, with notable deficiencies and limitations. Conclusion: Management decisions aimed at enhancing the conservation plan should include expanding site areas, restoring vegetation, constructing standard water troughs and forage mangers, providing water and forage resources, building water holes, controlling predators and competing herbivores, adjusting population structures, managing flood and fire risks, preventing livestock incursions and disease transmission, promoting sustainable tourism practices, installing closed-circuit cameras, reducing human-wildlife conflicts, educating local communities, and increasing public participation. Improving the conservation status of captive sites while also focusing on the release and monitoring of fallow deer in the wild remains a primary goal of captive breeding. Moreover, improving management decisions should take into account using advanced techniques and methods. Finally, continuous monitoring of management effectiveness should be integrated into action plans with long-term targeted implementation strategies.

https://envs.sbu.ac.ir/article_105289_8b125ae409c68bfe4bcf4bf33627c9fd.pdf

Shahid Beheshti University Advanced Environmental Sciences 3115-7173 23 4 2025 12 22 Application of Species Distribution Models (SDMs) for the Conservation of Mountain Ungulates, Wild Goat, in the Central Plateau of Iran Application of Species Distribution Models (SDMs) for the Conservation of Mountain Ungulates, Wild Goat, in the Central Plateau of Iran 973 990 105986 10.48308/envs.2025.237581.1457 FA Bagher Nezami Balouchi Research Group of Biodiversity and Biosafety, Research Center for Environment and Sustainable Development, Department of Environment, Tehran, Iran 0000-0002-7414-0415 Javad Ramezani Research Group of Biodiversity and Biosafety, Research Center for Environment and Sustainable Development, Department of Environment, Tehran, Iran 0000-0002-5584-7044 Seyyedeh Masoumeh Mousavi Research Group of Biodiversity and Biosafety, Research Center for Environment and Sustainable Development, Department of Environment, Tehran, Iran Journal Article 2024 11 17 Introduction: The Wild Goat (Capra aegagrus), the largest member of the Bovidae family, is the largest Artiodactylaof the central plateau of Iran and one of the symbles of mountainous rocky regions. This species is one of the main prey items for the Asiatic Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus), critically endangered cat species in Iran. Therefore, identifying suitable habitat patches holds significant importance for the conservation of wild goat, initially and subsequently the cheetah in Iran. However, to date, no comprehensive study has been conducted on the distribution of this species. Due to the fragile habitat nature of the central plateau of Iran, droughts, during the last few decades, the central plateau of Iran has been subjected to severe changes due to mining exploration and development activities, as well as the increasing hunting of this species, the range of distribution and Its population density will probably be in the form of spots. Material and methods: In this research, considering the necessity of identifying suitable habitats for wild goat, coupled with extremely low density and limited access to updated presence point data, a species distribution modeling package was employed to identify suitable habitats for one of the cheetah's main prey species, the wild goat. For determining wild goat habitat suitability, systematic field surveys using point count methodology with at least two observers were conducted, resulting in 120 direct species observations. Species observation points, along with four categories of variables - climatic, topographic, vegetation cover, and distance to anthropogenic features - were used as inputs for modeling software. Results and discussion: One of the advantages of this study was the utilization of nine models within the Biomod2 package for wild goat habitat modeling. Given conservation and management sensitivities, relying on a single model, even with high validity, would be highly risky. The model performance using the ensemble approach was evaluated as very good to excellent. The most influential predictors affecting species distribution were slope, average annual precipitation, village density, and distance to water resources. The probability of species presence and habitat suitability decreased with increasing distance from water resources. Habitat suitability declined with increasing human density and anthropogenic factors such as villages and roads. Wild goats prefer slopes between 20 to 65 percent. Wild goat habitat in Iran's central plateau is severely fragmented and scattered. Despite the importance of mountainous areas in desert landscapes for moderating climatic conditions and their role in increasing species richness, only about 20 percent of these areas fall within the four-category protected areas, while nearly 80 percent lie outside protected areas. Conclusion: The findings indicate that this species' habitats are severely insular, small, non-continuous, and scattered. A significant portion of Iran's central plateau, which contains the country's largest protected areas, has been traditionally demarcated based on natural features rather than species habitat suitability. Substantial parts of this regions have no suitability for either of these species, yet they are protected. Meanwhile, significant suitable areas lie outside protected areas. If managed through governmental or private, these areas could facilitate habitat connectivity for species while ensuring conservation. Introduction: The Wild Goat (Capra aegagrus), the largest member of the Bovidae family, is the largest Artiodactylaof the central plateau of Iran and one of the symbles of mountainous rocky regions. This species is one of the main prey items for the Asiatic Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus), critically endangered cat species in Iran. Therefore, identifying suitable habitat patches holds significant importance for the conservation of wild goat, initially and subsequently the cheetah in Iran. However, to date, no comprehensive study has been conducted on the distribution of this species. Due to the fragile habitat nature of the central plateau of Iran, droughts, during the last few decades, the central plateau of Iran has been subjected to severe changes due to mining exploration and development activities, as well as the increasing hunting of this species, the range of distribution and Its population density will probably be in the form of spots. Material and methods: In this research, considering the necessity of identifying suitable habitats for wild goat, coupled with extremely low density and limited access to updated presence point data, a species distribution modeling package was employed to identify suitable habitats for one of the cheetah's main prey species, the wild goat. For determining wild goat habitat suitability, systematic field surveys using point count methodology with at least two observers were conducted, resulting in 120 direct species observations. Species observation points, along with four categories of variables - climatic, topographic, vegetation cover, and distance to anthropogenic features - were used as inputs for modeling software. Results and discussion: One of the advantages of this study was the utilization of nine models within the Biomod2 package for wild goat habitat modeling. Given conservation and management sensitivities, relying on a single model, even with high validity, would be highly risky. The model performance using the ensemble approach was evaluated as very good to excellent. The most influential predictors affecting species distribution were slope, average annual precipitation, village density, and distance to water resources. The probability of species presence and habitat suitability decreased with increasing distance from water resources. Habitat suitability declined with increasing human density and anthropogenic factors such as villages and roads. Wild goats prefer slopes between 20 to 65 percent. Wild goat habitat in Iran's central plateau is severely fragmented and scattered. Despite the importance of mountainous areas in desert landscapes for moderating climatic conditions and their role in increasing species richness, only about 20 percent of these areas fall within the four-category protected areas, while nearly 80 percent lie outside protected areas. Conclusion: The findings indicate that this species' habitats are severely insular, small, non-continuous, and scattered. A significant portion of Iran's central plateau, which contains the country's largest protected areas, has been traditionally demarcated based on natural features rather than species habitat suitability. Substantial parts of this regions have no suitability for either of these species, yet they are protected. Meanwhile, significant suitable areas lie outside protected areas. If managed through governmental or private, these areas could facilitate habitat connectivity for species while ensuring conservation.

https://envs.sbu.ac.ir/article_105986_9eb182a2d7a51ba6f14f5cce7b36a76e.pdf

Shahid Beheshti University Advanced Environmental Sciences 3115-7173 23 4 2025 12 22 Comparison of Enhancement in Cement-Based Stabilization/Solidification of Lead-Contaminated Bentonite Using Calcium Hydroxide and Sodium Hydroxide Comparison of Enhancement in Cement-Based Stabilization/Solidification of Lead-Contaminated Bentonite Using Calcium Hydroxide and Sodium Hydroxide 991 1008 105992 10.48308/envs.2025.237612.1458 FA Behnam Yousefi Department of Civil Engineering, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran 0009-0005-4998-5853 Vahid Reza Ouhadi Department of Civil Engineering, Bu-Ali Sina University AND Adjunct Prof., School of Civil Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran 0000-0002-9370-612X Journal Article 2024 11 19 Introduction: Soil contamination by heavy metals poses a serious threat to the environment and human health. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified cement-based stabilization and solidification (S/S) as the most effective method to control the mobility of contaminants. The cement hydration process increases the pH of the environment through the production of calcium hydroxide, stabilizing the contaminants. Subsequently, pozzolanic reactions encapsulate the contaminants. However, environmental concerns regarding cement production present a global challenge. This study focuses on comparing the mechanisms controlling the S/S process of lead-contaminated bentonite using cement, along with the alkaline enhancing agents calcium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide, with the goal of reducing cement consumption. Material and methods: This study specifically examines the pH elevation and its impact on the stabilization process. A series of pH adjustment, leachability (TCLP), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) tests were conducted. Bentonite soil was contaminated with 100 cmol/kg-soil of lead and then stabilized/solidified with 10% and 15% by weight of cement. To analyze the stabilization mechanism, the pH of the contaminated soil was adjusted to 10, 11, and 12 using incremental additions of calcium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide, corresponding to the pH range for the precipitation of lead heavy metal. To investigate cement reduction, stabilized soil with calcium hydroxide was solidified with 5%, 7.5%, 10%, and 15% cement. Results and discussion: Due to its significant cation exchange capacity, the presence of calcium carbonate, and large specific surface area, bentonite soil alone can retain about 50% of the applied contamination in the TCLP test, preventing its transfer to the environment. In cement-based S/S processes, if heavy metal contamination exceeds the soil's retention capacity, stabilization is required before encapsulation. Given the amphoteric properties of lead, the soil's pH must be adjusted to the range of 10–12 to stabilize lead ions through oxide-hydroxide phases. Accordingly, the amount of cement used must provide the necessary initial pH increase for stabilization.TCLP and XRD results show that in the S/S process, as pH increases, the retention phase transitions from carbonate to the more stable oxide-hydroxide phase, enhancing contaminant retention in the TCLP test. In soils stabilized with calcium hydroxide, the formation of cementitious products results in greater contaminant retention compared to sodium hydroxide-stabilized soils. However, desorption levels still do not meet the EPA standard limit (<5 mg/L). Achieving this limit requires the presence of cement and solidification mechanisms facilitated by cementitious products. By enhancing contaminated soil with calcium hydroxide and stabilizing free contaminants, cement consumption can be reduced. Conclusion: Stabilization of heavy metal-contaminated soils with calcium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide and evaluating desorption levels in the TCLP test indicate that an optimal pH of 11 is most effective. The findings suggest that using calcium hydroxide as an enhancer not only activates the oxide-hydroxide precipitation mechanism but also enhances solidification mechanisms. This improved performance makes calcium hydroxide a more effective enhancer in the cement-based S/S process for soils containing heavy metal contaminants like lead. Intensification with calcium hydroxide reduces cement consumption by 33% compared to non-enhanced conditions in the cement-based S/S method. Introduction: Soil contamination by heavy metals poses a serious threat to the environment and human health. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified cement-based stabilization and solidification (S/S) as the most effective method to control the mobility of contaminants. The cement hydration process increases the pH of the environment through the production of calcium hydroxide, stabilizing the contaminants. Subsequently, pozzolanic reactions encapsulate the contaminants. However, environmental concerns regarding cement production present a global challenge. This study focuses on comparing the mechanisms controlling the S/S process of lead-contaminated bentonite using cement, along with the alkaline enhancing agents calcium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide, with the goal of reducing cement consumption. Material and methods: This study specifically examines the pH elevation and its impact on the stabilization process. A series of pH adjustment, leachability (TCLP), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) tests were conducted. Bentonite soil was contaminated with 100 cmol/kg-soil of lead and then stabilized/solidified with 10% and 15% by weight of cement. To analyze the stabilization mechanism, the pH of the contaminated soil was adjusted to 10, 11, and 12 using incremental additions of calcium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide, corresponding to the pH range for the precipitation of lead heavy metal. To investigate cement reduction, stabilized soil with calcium hydroxide was solidified with 5%, 7.5%, 10%, and 15% cement. Results and discussion: Due to its significant cation exchange capacity, the presence of calcium carbonate, and large specific surface area, bentonite soil alone can retain about 50% of the applied contamination in the TCLP test, preventing its transfer to the environment. In cement-based S/S processes, if heavy metal contamination exceeds the soil's retention capacity, stabilization is required before encapsulation. Given the amphoteric properties of lead, the soil's pH must be adjusted to the range of 10–12 to stabilize lead ions through oxide-hydroxide phases. Accordingly, the amount of cement used must provide the necessary initial pH increase for stabilization.TCLP and XRD results show that in the S/S process, as pH increases, the retention phase transitions from carbonate to the more stable oxide-hydroxide phase, enhancing contaminant retention in the TCLP test. In soils stabilized with calcium hydroxide, the formation of cementitious products results in greater contaminant retention compared to sodium hydroxide-stabilized soils. However, desorption levels still do not meet the EPA standard limit (<5 mg/L). Achieving this limit requires the presence of cement and solidification mechanisms facilitated by cementitious products. By enhancing contaminated soil with calcium hydroxide and stabilizing free contaminants, cement consumption can be reduced. Conclusion: Stabilization of heavy metal-contaminated soils with calcium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide and evaluating desorption levels in the TCLP test indicate that an optimal pH of 11 is most effective. The findings suggest that using calcium hydroxide as an enhancer not only activates the oxide-hydroxide precipitation mechanism but also enhances solidification mechanisms. This improved performance makes calcium hydroxide a more effective enhancer in the cement-based S/S process for soils containing heavy metal contaminants like lead. Intensification with calcium hydroxide reduces cement consumption by 33% compared to non-enhanced conditions in the cement-based S/S method.

https://envs.sbu.ac.ir/article_105992_31aef6ed6ad67306ff2feda94f9c2a80.pdf

Shahid Beheshti University Advanced Environmental Sciences 3115-7173 23 4 2026 05 25 Optimal Crop Pattern Base on Climate-Smart Agriculture and Sustainable Water Resources Management Optimal Crop Pattern Base on Climate-Smart Agriculture and Sustainable Water Resources Management 1009 1032 105993 10.48308/envs.2025.237671.1460 FA Abdolmajid Ranjbar Department of Agricultural Economics, Marvdasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Marvdasht, Iran 0009-0000-0672-0218 Seyed Nematolah Mousavi Department of Agricultural Economics, Marvdasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Marvdasht, Iran Bahaeddin Najafi Department of Agricultural Economics, Marvdasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Marvdasht, Iran Journal Article Introduction: Agriculture remains one of the most climate-vulnerable economic sectors globally, facing heightened risks from shifting precipitation patterns, rising temperatures, and increased frequency of extreme weather events. Adapting cultivation patterns through a climate-smart agriculture (CSA) framework—integrating productivity, adaptation, and mitigation—is critical to enhance systemic resilience and ensure food security. This study focuses on the Kosar Dam basin in western Iran, a region experiencing intensified water stress due to population growth, agricultural expansion, and recurrent droughts. Understanding the dynamic interactions between climate variability, water allocation, and farming practices in this context is essential for designing sustainable management strategies that balance ecological limits with socioeconomic needs. Material and methods: This research employs a system dynamics (SD) modeling approach to simulate the complex water resources system of the Kosar Dam basin over the period 2021– 2040. SD is particularly suited for capturing feedback loops, time delays, and nonlinear relationships inherent in socio-hydrological systems. Then, a multi-objective optimization algorithm is embedded within the SD framework to evaluate trade-offs among objectives such as maximizing profit, minimizing water and fertilizer consumption, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Results and discussion: The analysis revealed a consistent decline in the volume of surface water throughout the study period, with an average annual reduction of -0.94%. This trend coincides with an escalating demand for water across various sectors, resulting in a growing scarcity index for water resources in the region and a diminishing water balance index. By the end of the assessment, the predicted scarcity index was 0.51, and the water balance index stood at 413 million cubic meters. These indicators suggest that the water resource situation in the basin is likely to worsen, impairing the system's ability to meet increasing national water demands. The evaluation of cropping patterns indicated an 11.5% reduction in the total cultivated area, down to 28167 hectares. Most crops exhibited a decline in cultivation, with beans being deprioritized. However, adjustments in the cultivation strategy resulted in a lower scarcity index compared to baseline conditions. Notably, the implementation of the proposed cultivation scenario achieved a 14% reduction in the average annual scarcity index. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that integrating climate-smart agriculture principles within a system dynamics framework provides a powerful tool for navigating water–food– climate nexus challenges in semi-arid regions. Proactive, adaptive management informed by scenario modeling can significantly enhance resilience in the Kosar Dam basin and similar contexts. Key recommendations include prioritizing investments in water-saving technologies, strengthening early-warning systems for drought, and fostering participatory governance to align farmer incentives with sustainability goals. Introduction: Agriculture remains one of the most climate-vulnerable economic sectors globally, facing heightened risks from shifting precipitation patterns, rising temperatures, and increased frequency of extreme weather events. Adapting cultivation patterns through a climate-smart agriculture (CSA) framework—integrating productivity, adaptation, and mitigation—is critical to enhance systemic resilience and ensure food security. This study focuses on the Kosar Dam basin in western Iran, a region experiencing intensified water stress due to population growth, agricultural expansion, and recurrent droughts. Understanding the dynamic interactions between climate variability, water allocation, and farming practices in this context is essential for designing sustainable management strategies that balance ecological limits with socioeconomic needs. Material and methods: This research employs a system dynamics (SD) modeling approach to simulate the complex water resources system of the Kosar Dam basin over the period 2021– 2040. SD is particularly suited for capturing feedback loops, time delays, and nonlinear relationships inherent in socio-hydrological systems. Then, a multi-objective optimization algorithm is embedded within the SD framework to evaluate trade-offs among objectives such as maximizing profit, minimizing water and fertilizer consumption, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Results and discussion: The analysis revealed a consistent decline in the volume of surface water throughout the study period, with an average annual reduction of -0.94%. This trend coincides with an escalating demand for water across various sectors, resulting in a growing scarcity index for water resources in the region and a diminishing water balance index. By the end of the assessment, the predicted scarcity index was 0.51, and the water balance index stood at 413 million cubic meters. These indicators suggest that the water resource situation in the basin is likely to worsen, impairing the system's ability to meet increasing national water demands. The evaluation of cropping patterns indicated an 11.5% reduction in the total cultivated area, down to 28167 hectares. Most crops exhibited a decline in cultivation, with beans being deprioritized. However, adjustments in the cultivation strategy resulted in a lower scarcity index compared to baseline conditions. Notably, the implementation of the proposed cultivation scenario achieved a 14% reduction in the average annual scarcity index. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that integrating climate-smart agriculture principles within a system dynamics framework provides a powerful tool for navigating water–food– climate nexus challenges in semi-arid regions. Proactive, adaptive management informed by scenario modeling can significantly enhance resilience in the Kosar Dam basin and similar contexts. Key recommendations include prioritizing investments in water-saving technologies, strengthening early-warning systems for drought, and fostering participatory governance to align farmer incentives with sustainability goals.

https://envs.sbu.ac.ir/article_105993_882bfebeb4261b7c3b697b3d83a6e719.pdf

Shahid Beheshti University Advanced Environmental Sciences 3115-7173 23 4 2026 05 25 The Impact of Agricultural Growth and Energy Consumption on Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Environmental Quality in Middle Eastern Countries The Impact of Agricultural Growth and Energy Consumption on Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Environmental Quality in Middle Eastern Countries 1033 1056 105994 10.48308/envs.2025.237748.1461 FA Ghasem Layani Department of Management and Rural Development , Faculty of Agriculture, Shahrekord University,, Shahrekord, ran 0000-0002-0110-0113 Mehdi Karami-Dehkordi Department of Management and Rural Development , Faculty of Agriculture, Shahrekord University,, Shahrekord, ran Journal Article Introduction: The investigation of determinants influencing greenhouse gas emissions, particularly within the realms of agricultural development and energy consumption, is critical for environmental sustainability. The agricultural sector is a primary contributor to methane and nitrous oxide emissions, significantly exacerbating environmental degradation. Additionally, the robust population growth observed in Middle Eastern nations, coupled with rising demands for food, energy, and industrial expansion, led to these countries contributing 8.30% to global carbon dioxide emissions. Material and methods: This study aims to analyze the influences of agricultural development, energy consumption patterns, trade liberalization, and population growth on greenhouse gas emissions, utilizing data from a panel of Middle Eastern countries over the period from 2000 to 2020. In this study, the long-run relationships between the variables were determined using the Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS) method, while Granger causality was also examined. Results and discussion: The findings indicate a bidirectional causal relationship between population dynamics and greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, and agricultural growth. Additionally, unidirectional causal links were identified: from population to trade liberalization, from trade liberalization to methane emissions, from energy consumption to methane emissions, from population to nitrous oxide emissions, and from energy consumption to agricultural development in the region. Long-term relationship assessments revealed that development in the agricultural sector exerts the most significant impact on methane emissions while having the least effect on carbon dioxide emissions. Based on the coefficients from the three estimated models, a 1% increase in the agricultural sector's contribution to the GDP of Middle Eastern countries corresponds to an increase in emissions of 0.061% for carbon dioxide, 0.130% for methane, and 0.109% for nitrous oxide. Furthermore, the analysis highlights a positive correlation between energy consumption and emissions of both carbon dioxide and methane. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, it is recommended that Middle Eastern countries adopt effective strategies to optimize energy consumption and increase its efficiency, develop the use of renewable energies, and adopt new technologies in agriculture in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. On the other hand, policies related to trade liberalization should be designed in a way that, while ensuring food security, reduces negative impacts on the environment. Finally, planning to control population growth and increasing public awareness about environmental challenges can also help improve the current situation. Introduction: The investigation of determinants influencing greenhouse gas emissions, particularly within the realms of agricultural development and energy consumption, is critical for environmental sustainability. The agricultural sector is a primary contributor to methane and nitrous oxide emissions, significantly exacerbating environmental degradation. Additionally, the robust population growth observed in Middle Eastern nations, coupled with rising demands for food, energy, and industrial expansion, led to these countries contributing 8.30% to global carbon dioxide emissions. Material and methods: This study aims to analyze the influences of agricultural development, energy consumption patterns, trade liberalization, and population growth on greenhouse gas emissions, utilizing data from a panel of Middle Eastern countries over the period from 2000 to 2020. In this study, the long-run relationships between the variables were determined using the Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS) method, while Granger causality was also examined. Results and discussion: The findings indicate a bidirectional causal relationship between population dynamics and greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, and agricultural growth. Additionally, unidirectional causal links were identified: from population to trade liberalization, from trade liberalization to methane emissions, from energy consumption to methane emissions, from population to nitrous oxide emissions, and from energy consumption to agricultural development in the region. Long-term relationship assessments revealed that development in the agricultural sector exerts the most significant impact on methane emissions while having the least effect on carbon dioxide emissions. Based on the coefficients from the three estimated models, a 1% increase in the agricultural sector's contribution to the GDP of Middle Eastern countries corresponds to an increase in emissions of 0.061% for carbon dioxide, 0.130% for methane, and 0.109% for nitrous oxide. Furthermore, the analysis highlights a positive correlation between energy consumption and emissions of both carbon dioxide and methane. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, it is recommended that Middle Eastern countries adopt effective strategies to optimize energy consumption and increase its efficiency, develop the use of renewable energies, and adopt new technologies in agriculture in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. On the other hand, policies related to trade liberalization should be designed in a way that, while ensuring food security, reduces negative impacts on the environment. Finally, planning to control population growth and increasing public awareness about environmental challenges can also help improve the current situation.

https://envs.sbu.ac.ir/article_105994_4032aaf7b23d5bc73527a4e31c5723bf.pdf

Shahid Beheshti University Advanced Environmental Sciences 3115-7173 23 4 2026 05 16 Analysis of the Value Chain of Medicinal Plants in Iran: The Role of Key Actors Analysis of the Value Chain of Medicinal Plants in Iran: The Role of Key Actors 1057 1084 105281 10.48308/envs.2024.1467 FA Maryam Shariatzadeh Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, College of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University (TMU), Tehran, Iran 0000-0002-7438-0304 Masoud Bijani Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, College of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University (TMU), Tehran, Iran 0000-0003-2659-6386 Farzane Bahadori Research center of Agricultural and natural resources, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Semnan, Iran 0000-0002-5440-0128 Journal Article Introduction: The Iranian economy has always faced serious challenges due to its heavy reliance on oil exports and the associated foreign income, which are susceptible to fluctuations and the finite nature of these resources. Economic experts believe that developing non-oil exports and freeing the economy from its monoculture dependence is an unavoidable necessity. Iran ranks among the top 20 countries in the world for the production of medicinal plants due to its high climatic diversity; however, it does not hold a favorable position in terms of exporting these products and their related outputs. This research was conducted exploratively with the aim of strategically analyzing the value chain of medicinal plants in Iran. Material and methods: This study was carried out in two stages focusing on the role of key actors in the medicinal plant industry and the value-added processes. The performance of market actors was evaluated through the efficiency of the value chain links, and an analysis of SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) was employed to identify limitations and potential solutions, thereby illustrating the business environment surrounding medicinal plants. The statistical population comprised three groups of stakeholders, including medicinal plant specialists, managers, and experts from agricultural jihad offices, natural resources agencies, research centers, producers, traders, and managers of processing industries. A total of 31 participants were selected using purposive and snowball sampling methods. Results and discussion : The SWOT analysis revealed 10 strengths, 25 weaknesses, 11 opportunities, and 16 threats. The results indicated a predominance of weaknesses over strengths and threats over opportunities. Consequently, the dominant strategic area identified in the SWOT matrix was categorized under defensive (WT) strategies. Defensive strategies were proposed to mitigate weaknesses and counter threats, including “providing incentives for regional investment in the processing of medicinal plants” and “reforming and streamlining bureaucratic processes for obtaining necessary permits for the production of final products.” Furthermore, 15 actionable steps were suggested to enhance strengths and convert threats into opportunities. Conclusion: Given the significance of producing and processing medicinal plants within the domestic economy and in support of non-oil export enhancement, this research seeks to provide effective strategies for the sustainable development of this industry through the identification and analysis of existing strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities. Despite Iran's significant climatic potential for cultivating various medicinal plants, the country faces multiple challenges in the realm of exporting and processing these products. One critical finding of this study is that the export of medicinal plant products has thus far not been conducted within a structured and systematic marketing strategy. This highlights the need for new approaches and targeted marketing strategies to identify target markets and prioritize products. Understanding the needs and demands of target markets can assist in designing effective export development strategies and outlining practical approaches for exporters and relevant officials in national trade planning. Ultimately, proposing a long-term strategy for industrial development in the processing of medicinal plants and secondary product production can strengthen the value chain of this industry. A novel model of the value chain for Iran's medicinal plants, encompassing five links, has been introduced. This study can serve as a guide for policymakers and decision-makers in planning and sustainable development of the export of medicinal plants within the global value chain. Introduction: The Iranian economy has always faced serious challenges due to its heavy reliance on oil exports and the associated foreign income, which are susceptible to fluctuations and the finite nature of these resources. Economic experts believe that developing non-oil exports and freeing the economy from its monoculture dependence is an unavoidable necessity. Iran ranks among the top 20 countries in the world for the production of medicinal plants due to its high climatic diversity; however, it does not hold a favorable position in terms of exporting these products and their related outputs. This research was conducted exploratively with the aim of strategically analyzing the value chain of medicinal plants in Iran. Material and methods: This study was carried out in two stages focusing on the role of key actors in the medicinal plant industry and the value-added processes. The performance of market actors was evaluated through the efficiency of the value chain links, and an analysis of SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) was employed to identify limitations and potential solutions, thereby illustrating the business environment surrounding medicinal plants. The statistical population comprised three groups of stakeholders, including medicinal plant specialists, managers, and experts from agricultural jihad offices, natural resources agencies, research centers, producers, traders, and managers of processing industries. A total of 31 participants were selected using purposive and snowball sampling methods. Results and discussion : The SWOT analysis revealed 10 strengths, 25 weaknesses, 11 opportunities, and 16 threats. The results indicated a predominance of weaknesses over strengths and threats over opportunities. Consequently, the dominant strategic area identified in the SWOT matrix was categorized under defensive (WT) strategies. Defensive strategies were proposed to mitigate weaknesses and counter threats, including “providing incentives for regional investment in the processing of medicinal plants” and “reforming and streamlining bureaucratic processes for obtaining necessary permits for the production of final products.” Furthermore, 15 actionable steps were suggested to enhance strengths and convert threats into opportunities. Conclusion: Given the significance of producing and processing medicinal plants within the domestic economy and in support of non-oil export enhancement, this research seeks to provide effective strategies for the sustainable development of this industry through the identification and analysis of existing strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities. Despite Iran's significant climatic potential for cultivating various medicinal plants, the country faces multiple challenges in the realm of exporting and processing these products. One critical finding of this study is that the export of medicinal plant products has thus far not been conducted within a structured and systematic marketing strategy. This highlights the need for new approaches and targeted marketing strategies to identify target markets and prioritize products. Understanding the needs and demands of target markets can assist in designing effective export development strategies and outlining practical approaches for exporters and relevant officials in national trade planning. Ultimately, proposing a long-term strategy for industrial development in the processing of medicinal plants and secondary product production can strengthen the value chain of this industry. A novel model of the value chain for Iran's medicinal plants, encompassing five links, has been introduced. This study can serve as a guide for policymakers and decision-makers in planning and sustainable development of the export of medicinal plants within the global value chain.

https://envs.sbu.ac.ir/article_105281_4ca4510c81285a9c554fa37502fad63f.pdf

Shahid Beheshti University Advanced Environmental Sciences 3115-7173 23 4 2025 12 22 Using a Hydrodynamic Model to Evaluate the Discharge of Urban Sewage on the Pollution of Coastal Areas Case Study: Bandar Abbas City Using a Hydrodynamic Model to Evaluate the Discharge of Urban Sewage on the Pollution of Coastal Areas Case Study: Bandar Abbas City 1085 1102 103785 10.48308/envs.2023.1304 FA َAmin Ghasami Department of Environmental Engineering, Kish International Campus, University of Tehran, Kish, Iran Mohammad Javad Amiri Department of Disaster Engineering, Education and Environmental Systems, Faculty of Environment, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran 0000-0003-1748-9036 Nasser Mehrdadi Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Environment, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran Journal Article 2023 05 12 Introduction: The discharge of urban and industrial wastewater into aquatic environments, particularly in coastal areas, poses significant environmental challenges. This study aims to investigate the pollution status caused by the effluent discharge from the Bandar Abbas wastewater treatment plant into the "Goursouzan Creek" and to evaluate its impacts on the adjacent marine environment. Focusing on pollutant dispersion simulation, this research seeks to provide scientific solutions for predicting contaminant movement and mitigating its destructive effects on the coastal ecosystem. Material and methods: The MIKE 21 FM numerical model (developed by DHI) was employed for hydrodynamic and transport simulation. The modeling process was executed in three stages: first, a hydrodynamic model of the entire Persian Gulf was developed; then, water level data from the calibrated regional model were extracted to set up a local hydrodynamic model for the Bandar Abbas area. Finally, a water quality model was implemented based on field sampling data and wastewater characteristics (such as turbidity and physical appearance) to analyze the pollution dispersion patterns. Results and discussion: Field observations indicate high turbidity, foam formation, and unpleasant odors at the discharge point in Goursouzan Creek. Numerical modeling results confirmed that the hydrodynamic characteristics of the area, including depth and current velocity/direction, play a key role in pollutant transport. Based on various scenarios (trial and error), it was found that discharging wastewater near the shoreline or even at points just outside the creek does not improve the environmental quality of the area due to the average current patterns. Conclusion: The findings of this study demonstrate that current wastewater discharge practices near the Bandar Abbas coast do not meet environmental standards and fail to resolve the region's pollution issues. Given the hydrodynamic limitations of Goursouzan Creek, it is essential to consider alternative options, such as relocating the discharge points to deeper offshore locations with more favorable current conditions, guided by numerical model outputs, to ensure the sustainability of the marine ecosystem. Introduction: The discharge of urban and industrial wastewater into aquatic environments, particularly in coastal areas, poses significant environmental challenges. This study aims to investigate the pollution status caused by the effluent discharge from the Bandar Abbas wastewater treatment plant into the "Goursouzan Creek" and to evaluate its impacts on the adjacent marine environment. Focusing on pollutant dispersion simulation, this research seeks to provide scientific solutions for predicting contaminant movement and mitigating its destructive effects on the coastal ecosystem. Material and methods: The MIKE 21 FM numerical model (developed by DHI) was employed for hydrodynamic and transport simulation. The modeling process was executed in three stages: first, a hydrodynamic model of the entire Persian Gulf was developed; then, water level data from the calibrated regional model were extracted to set up a local hydrodynamic model for the Bandar Abbas area. Finally, a water quality model was implemented based on field sampling data and wastewater characteristics (such as turbidity and physical appearance) to analyze the pollution dispersion patterns. Results and discussion: Field observations indicate high turbidity, foam formation, and unpleasant odors at the discharge point in Goursouzan Creek. Numerical modeling results confirmed that the hydrodynamic characteristics of the area, including depth and current velocity/direction, play a key role in pollutant transport. Based on various scenarios (trial and error), it was found that discharging wastewater near the shoreline or even at points just outside the creek does not improve the environmental quality of the area due to the average current patterns. Conclusion: The findings of this study demonstrate that current wastewater discharge practices near the Bandar Abbas coast do not meet environmental standards and fail to resolve the region's pollution issues. Given the hydrodynamic limitations of Goursouzan Creek, it is essential to consider alternative options, such as relocating the discharge points to deeper offshore locations with more favorable current conditions, guided by numerical model outputs, to ensure the sustainability of the marine ecosystem.

https://envs.sbu.ac.ir/article_103785_817cf94bc8d77208c614f8c6d48023d2.pdf