Extraction and Analysis of Environmental Insecurity Indicators in Ahvaz City

Document Type : Original Research Article

Author

Department of Geography & Urban Planning, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran

Abstract

Today, environmental hazards and consequently environmental insecurity are the most common global challenges in cities. In Iran, cities are involved with environmental challenges such as air pollution, micro dust storms, water stress, land subsidence, soil pollution, and most importantly the challenge of environmental mismanagement. According to the studies, Ahvaz, a strategic metropolis in Iran, is one of such cities that faces the intense challenge of environmental insecurity. The aim of this research is to extract the effective indicators of environmental insecurity by thematic evaluation of these factors and indicators in the city of Ahvaz. In this study, 41 effective indicators have been extracted by analysing the records and opinions of 30 experts (academics and urban-regional managers). The selected indicators were modelled based on the opinions of 20 experts in the Best & Worst technique. Finally, the most important factors and indicators affecting environmental insecurity in Ahvaz were identified, categorized, and prioritized. According to B&W, among the 41 investigated indicators, the indices of hazardous hospital waste (I21) with value of .077, dust storm (I1) with value of .076, and Oil flares (I4) with value of .076 had the highest impact on the insecurity of the urban ecosystem of Ahvaz. Also, the results of this study have shown that among the five mega factors of air, water and soil pollution, environmental behavior, and environmental management, the indicators of air pollution have the highest effect on the environmental insecurity of Ahvaz city.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

Ahvaz Municipality., 2019. Urban Development Statistics, Ahvaz.
Ahvaz Municipality., 2020. Urban Development Statistics, Ahvaz.
Ahvaz Municipality., 2022. Urban Development Statistics, Ahvaz.
Baum, S., Stuart, A., Timoteus, E., Olle, H., Robin, H., Karin, K. & Matthijs, M., 2019. Long-Term Trajectories of Human Civilization, Foresight, 21, 53–83.
Buzan, B. & Ole, W., 2009. Macro securitisation and Security Constellations: Reconsidering Scale in Securitisation Theory. Review of International Studies, 35, 253–76.
Buzan, B., Charles J. & Richard, L., 1993. The Logic of Anarchy: Neorealism to Structural Realism. 1st Edition, New York: Columbia University Press.
Buzan, B., Ole, W. & Jaap, W., 1998. Security: A New Framework for Analysis. 1st Edition, London: Lynne Rienner Publishers.
Coker, C., 2018. Still ‘the Human Thing’? Technology, Human Agency and the Future of War. International Relations, 32, 23–38.
Deudney, D., 1991. Environment and Security: Muddled Thinking. Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, 47,22–8
Ekaterina, P. & Larisa, G., 2018. Environmental Security and Sustainable Development of Large Urban Centers. E3S Web of Conferences, 250, Togliatti.
Floyd, R., 2008. The Environmental Security Debate and its Significance for Climate Change, The International Spectator. Italian Journal of International Affairs, 43. 51-65.
General Meteorological Department of Khuzestan Province (GMDKP)., 2020. Statistical Yearbook of Climate Indicators, Ahvaz.
Golam, R. & Sharma, B., 2015. The nexus approach to water–energy–food security: an option for adaptation to climate change. Climate Policy, 16. 682-702.
Goudarzi, G., Alavi, N., Geravandi, S., Yari, A., Aslanpour, F. & Dobaradaran, S., 2017. Ambient particulate matter concentration levels of Ahvaz. En­vironmental Geochemistry and Health, 41, 841- 849.
Hamzeh, N., Hossein, K., Dimitris, R. & Alireza, K., 2021. Long-Term Variability of Dust Events in Southwestern Iran and Its Relationship with the Drought. Atmosphere, 13, 394.
Hosseini, S., Nader, K. & Yazdan, Z., 2017. Evalu­ation of the environmental sustainability of Ahvaz with an emphasis on air pollution (Using FPPSI method). Journal of Natural environment (Iranian Journal of Natural Resources), 70, 309-317.
IR whether organization., 2019. UN Iran Country Results Report, Tehran.
Kathleen, A., Mahoney, N. & Derek, S. 2019. Climate Change and Environmental Security. The Oxford Handbook of U.S. National Security.
Khairulliza, A. & LechJan, C., 2016. Technological, Organizational and Environmental Security and Privacy Issues of Big Data: A Literature Review. Procardia Computer Science, 100,19-28.
Kornec, R., 2020. Ecological Security of Communities in Polish Cities. Journal of Human Security, 16, 1
Larry, A., 2018. Environmental Security in Practice: Tran’s boundary Natural Resources Management in Southern Africa. Paper prepared for presentation in Section 31 of the Pan-European Conference on International Relations, The Hague. 9-11.
Maria, J., 2008. Environmental Security and Climate Change: Analysing the Discourse. Cambridge Review of International Affairs, 21, 234.
Maria, R., Fabrizio B. & Anthea, C., 2018. A Methodology for the Selection of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis Methods in Real Estate and Land Management Processes. Sustainability, 10, 507.
Mohammadi, J., Godini, H., Tobeh, M., Dary­anoosh, M., Dobaradaran, S. & Goudarzi, G., 2015. An Asso­ciation Between Air Quality and COPD in Ahvaz. Jundishapur Journal of Chronic Disease Care, 4, 34-38.
Mohammadi, M., 2018. Safety and Urban Passive Defence. 1st Edition, Shahid Chamran university of Ahvaz peress, Ahvaz.
Mohammadi, M., Firuzi, M. & Shanbehpour, F., 2021. The spatial model of noise pollution caused by incompatibility of land use in Ahvaz city.  Environmental Engineering and Management Journal, 20, 53-62.
Mohammadi, M. & Sohrab, G. 2020. Climate Change and Ecological Migration: A Study of Villages in the Province of Khuzestan, Iran. Environmental Research Engineering and Management, 76, 6-19.
Najmeddin, A. & Keshavarzi, B. 2019. Health risk assessment and source apportionment of polycyclic aromatic hy­drocarbons associated with PM10 and road deposited dust in Ahvaz metropolis of Iran. Environmental Geo­chemistry and Health, 41, 1267–1290.
Nicole, D. & Michele, M. 2009. Climate Change and Environmental Security: For Whom the Discourse Shifts. International Studies Perspectives. Oxford University Press, 10, 303-320.
Radoslaw K., 2020. Ecological Security of Communities in Polish Cities.  Journal of Human Security, 16, 41–50.
Rajput, S. & Arora, K., 2021. Measuring and Mapping the State of Food Insecurity in Rajasthan, India. Geography, Environment, Sustainability, 14, 33-40.
Rezaei, J., 2016. Best-worst multi-criteria decision-making method. Omega, 53, 126-130.‏
Rezaei, J., 2020. A Concentration Ratio for Non-Linear Best Worst Method. International Journal of Information Technology & Decision Making, 19, 891-907.
Rob, W., 2010.Transnational environmental crime and eco-global criminology’. International handbook of criminology, New York: Taylor & Francis.
Sajjadi, S., Tirgar, A. & Aghalari, Z. 2018. A content analysis of articles published in recent decade in environmental health journals with an emphasis on air pollution. Jour­nal of Air Pollution and Health, 3, 177-186.
Salleh, K. & Janczewski, L. 2016. Technological, organizational and environmental security and privacy issues of big data. A literature review Procedia Computer Science, 100, 19-28.
Shanbehpour, F., 2018. Neighbouring spatial analysis of land use in order to extract map Metropolis acoustic comfort in Ahvaz. Master's Thesis. Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz.
Tschakert, P., 2007. Views from the vulnerable: understanding climatic and other stressors in the Sahel. Global Environmental Change, 17, 381–396. 
United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)., 2020. World Cities Report, the Value of Sustainable Urbanization, 33-39.
Velayatzadeh, M., 2020. Air pollution sources in Ahvaz city from Iran. Journal of Air Pollution and Health, 5, 147-152.
United Nations Environment Programme., 2020. Emissions Gap Report, 213-219.
World Health Organization., 2019. World health statistics: monitoring health for the SDGs, sustainable development goals, 130-160.

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics