The growing crises in the country's water resources have created cross-sectoral dimensions and profound threats to public health, the environment, and sustainable development. In a situation where the executive capacities of the responsible agencies are not sufficient to respond to these crises, the entry of supervisory and judicial institutions, especially the public prosecutor, within the framework of established laws, including Articles 46 of the Fair Water Distribution Law and 688 of the Islamic Penal Code, can play an effective role in controlling and correcting destructive processes. This note, using an analytical approach and examining several field experiences, addresses the role of this institution in dealing with water violations and crises and explains the existing legal capacities.
The drinking water of Izeh city in northeastern Khuzestan province is supplied from limestone wells in the Nal-e-asbi Karst aquifer south of the plain, which is in direct hydrogeological communication with the alluvial aquifer. Due to nitrate pollution infiltration from the alluvial aquifer to the Karst aquifer, determining the nitrate status in the aquifer and the effect of the natural denitrification process on reducing nitrate concentration is very important. In this research, temporal changes in nitrate, ammonium, and nitrite, and spatial changes in nitrate in the urban aquifer of Izeh were investigated to determine the denitrification mechanism. Over a one-year period (December 2023 - November 2024), samples were taken from 9 wells over 6 periods. Then, nitrate isoconcentration maps were prepared, and along with temporal changes of nitrogenous species, the nitrate chemograph was interpreted. Finally, spatial zoning of denitrification and the relationship between denitrification and other hydrogeochemical parameters was analyzed using composite diagrams. The results showed that with the leaching of pollutants from the surface and chemical fertilizers applied to agricultural lands, which are mainly applied in January and February in the Izeh region, the nitrate concentration in the urban aquifer of Izeh had a sharp increasing trend from December 2023 to April 2024, but decreased throughout the aquifer from April to June 2024. Groundwater in the north of Izeh city and adjacent to Miangaran wetland, due to severe contamination with Izeh city sewage, is under reducing and severe denitrification conditions and has the lowest nitrate concentration among the water wells. Based on the denitrification zoning map, the highest and lowest constant rate of denitrification are related to the northeast and southwest of Izeh city, respectively.
Natural disasters are phenomena that are widespread and affect all sectors of human societies. Since human societies operate within the framework of laws, the control and management of natural disasters fall under the responsibility of government officials and authorities. The two hydrological phenomena of flooding and drought are among the most significant natural disasters in recent years in Iran. Numerous studies have been conducted on flooding and drought, indicating that these two phenomena impact three areas: social, economic, and environmental. The aim of this research is to examine the legislative challenges for the integrated management of these two phenomena and to provide legal solutions in this regard. Many laws have been enacted to address and manage the flooding and drought phenomena, which have offered a sectoral and unique perspective on flooding or drought. Ultimately, this research has shown that the laws established concerning drought crises only address the compensation for damages caused by them, while remaining silent on scientific and practical solutions for preventing or mitigating the consequences of drought. Additionally, considering the interaction between the consequences of flooding and drought, reviewing and amending the existing laws related to flooding should be prioritized by the government.
This study investigates variations in heavy metal concentrations to assess potential pollutant transport and effective transport distances in the Atrak River, influenced by urban wastewater treatment plant discharge and downstream agricultural activities. The methodology comprises field surveys, in-situ measurements, sample collection, and index analysis. Water and sediment samples were collected from five and one selected stations, respectively, during summer 2024, using duplicate sampling to ensure Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC). Heavy metals were quantified via ICP-OES. The Contamination Degree (Cd) index indicated moderate contamination at all stations except S2 (downstream of WWTP discharge). The Heavy Metal Evaluation Index (HEI) and Heavy Metal Pollution Index (HPI) confirmed peak contamination at Station S2. Spatial distribution patterns varied: arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) showed consistent concentrations along the river, while chromium (Cr) and iron (Fe) exhibited an increasing trend downstream, attributed to their strong correlation. The Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo) revealed no sediment contamination for any of the metals. The Contamination Factor (CF) indicated moderate pollution for Cd. The Hazard Index (HI) for children was approximately 0.5, signifying non-carcinogenic risk. Consequently, under prevailing hydraulic conditions, the river’s capacity to transport wastewater-derived pollutants is limited to a 50–100 meters range from the discharge point. These findings underscore the critical importance of wastewater management and continuous water quality monitoring in similar watersheds.
This study investigated the effect of extreme precipitation values on the trend of vegetation cover change in southeastern Iran. Extreme precipitation indices were selected using a fixed approach recommended by the Expert Team on Climate Change Detection and Indices, according to local needs and theclimatic characteristics of the study area. These indices were extracted using daily precipitation data from the stations of the study area over a 21 years from 2000 to 2020 utilizing RclimDex software. The NDVI index of MODIS satellite images was used to analyze the trend of annual vegetation cover changes. Also, the multilayer perceptron neural network method was used to examine the relationship between changes in extreme precipitation indices and vegetation cover changes. The results showed that the NDVI index has an increasing trend spatially from the east to the west of the region. Areas with low NDVI were observed in the eastern, southern, and northern parts and areas with high NDVI were observed in the western part of the study area. The trend of NDVI index changes was significant and upward only at Rudan station (P-value = 0.01) and Kahnuj station (P-value = 0.0001). The overall trend indicated an increase in precipitation extremes during the study period. The extreme precipitation indices Rx1, SDII, and PRCPTOT have the most significant on the trend of changes in vegetation cover in the southeastern region of Iran. A comprehensive study of the impact and trend of changes in extreme precipitation indices on vegetation cover in the southeastern region of Iran will lead to the development of sustainable management methods and resilience to climate change.
Today, due to the reduction of groundwater and glacier resources, increasing temperatures, and lack of control over drinking water consumption, there is a greater need to modify consumption, and improve and save water consumption than in the past. In this study, the effects of factors influencing water consumption, including advertising, attitude, perceived behavioral control, intention to save, moral obligation, and social pressure, on saving behavior were investigated. This research is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-survey in terms of method, Additionally, the study is cross-sectional in terms of the survey period. The data collected for this research are quantitative and were gathered through a structured questionnaire. The statistical population of this study was all heads of households in Yasuj city. The data were examined and statistically analyzed through structural equation modeling using SPSS and AMOS software. The results showed that attitude, perceived behavioral control, intention to save, and social pressure have a positive and significant effect on saving behavior, and also that attitude and perceived behavioral control indirectly affect saving behavior through the mediation of intention to save.
Drought has been one of the most damaging natural phenomena in the past decades. On the other hand, due to the complex and creeping nature of drought, it is almost impossible to determine a specific start and end time for it. Dry and wet periods are visible and expected in all climates and in all seasons of the year, but sometimes a dry period leads to a drought and it affects humans (in various aspects), therefore, while every dry period cannot mark the onset of drought, it is important to note that not every wet period signifies the end of a drought period. In this study, the concept of drought and dry spell has been clearly expressed and the effect of these phenomena on humans has been discussed. To address the complexities of drought, a ten-step framework for risk management has been developed. This guideline addresses the complexities of this phenomenon and its various aspects, and provides a methodology for drought planning and management.
Optimal management of water resources, especially in multi-reservoir systems, is of great importance due to limited water resources, climate change, increasing demand, and unbalanced distribution of resources. The efficient operation of these systems requires consideration of different and conflicting objectives while maintaining the safety and stability of the reservoirs. The complexity of this problem, especially in large systems with several interconnected reservoirs, necessitates the use of advanced multi-objective optimization methods. This study presents a bat-based multi-objective optimization model for the operation of multi-reservoir systems. The main objectives of the model include: 1) maximizing the supply of water needs in different sectors, 2) minimizing the costs associated with reservoir management, and 3) maintaining environmental balance through control of releases. Constraints such as reservoir capacity, operation rules, and inflow and outflow conditions are considered in the modeling process. The results obtained from the simulations show that the BAT Algorithm can provide a set of optimal solutions from which decision-makers can choose the most appropriate option according to their priorities. Also, a quantitative comparison of the results of the proposed multi-objective Algorithm (BAT) with the results of the NSGA_II Algorithm showed that the average C(BAT, NSGA-II) values from 20 independent comparisons were 79.53%. Therefore, this approach not only increases the efficiency of multi-reservoir systems but also helps in effective decision-making in water resources management and improves the flexibility of the system in the face of variable and critical conditions. Since the objectives above are important in most multi-reservoir systems, the use of this model can be a great help for decision-makers in the exploitation of such systems.
Today, microplastics are considered an emerging pollutant due to their high stability in the environment and inherent toxicity, making them a significant global concern, particularly in soil and groundwater. Living organisms can easily ingest microplastics, leading to bioaccumulation and causing acute and chronic harm, as well as carcinogenicity, developmental problems, and genotoxicity. . The stability and biological dose of microplastics are important factors that play an important role in their toxicity and risk level. Microplastics enter the soil and groundwater environment from various sources, including the atmosphere, interactions with surface water bodies, urban infrastructure, or agricultural soils. Studies show that mechanical, physical, chemical, and biological transport processes can influence the dynamics and behavior of microplastics in the soil and groundwater environments. Due to their hydrophobic nature, high adsorption capacity, and large surface area, microplastics act as adsorbents and activators of other pollutants, leading to the proliferation of contamination. Therefore, the remediation of contaminated resources is essential for protecting the ecosystem and human health using innovative materials and technologies. Nanotechnology plays a significant role as a comprehensive approach in three areas: absorption, membrane processes, and photocatalytic degradation of microplastics. In addition to contaminated environment reclamation, a sustainable approach to reducing, reusing, and recycling plastic waste is necessary. Strategies to manage microplastic pollution in groundwater require a holistic approach that includes legislation, stakeholder engagement, research, and awareness-raising in developed and developing countries, with an emphasis on reducing microplastics at the source, improving waste management, and promoting responsible use of plastics.
Natural disasters, particularly floods driven by human activities, are among the leading causes of loss of life and property worldwide, posing significant obstacles to achieving sustainable development goals. This study investigates the causes and mechanisms behind the May 2024 flood in Mashhad, the second-largest metropolitan area in Iran. Utilizing a qualitative analytical approach, the required data were gathered through dialogue-based panels involving experts, officials, and concerned stakeholders. Following the transcription of discussions, key insights were extracted and categorized into open, axial, and selective codes. The findings revealed that human-related factors played a more prominent role in both the occurrence and the catastrophic impact of the flood. These included "improper urban design", "improper traffic management", "lack of proper urban development", "lack of attention to scientific issues", "incorrect human perspectives", "legal obstacles", "human aggravating factors", and finally "management factors". Also, the issue of "climate change" was recognized as the only natural factor that played a lesser role in the discourses in causing floods. Therefore, issues such as unsustainable urban development, land degradation, and lack of attention to risk management instead of crisis management can be highlighted as the most important root issues that caused the occurrence and, more importantly, the disaster of the flood in May 2024. Accordingly, establishing unified urban management through consensus and significant unity between all organs such as the municipality, officials and governmental institutions, civil society, and the public is essential to prevent the recurrence of such destructive trends.
The increasing occurrence of widespread water-related tensions in the international scope, coupled with climate change and limitations on accessible freshwater resources, has led to the ineffectiveness of traditional engineering-oriented approaches in urban water systems management. Therefore, political and social driving and environmental demands have caused urban water systems to be considered as a "Socio-Ecological" System, and strategic planning is needed for its management. This alternative model is called the "Water-Sensitive City". Implementing the new approach requires significant changes in the structures, culture, planning methods, management practices, and stakeholder engagement. The transition toward a Water-Sensitive City consists of six stages. Dominant narratives and enablers are considered as two vital and influencing factors affecting the transition process. Finally, a checklist of effective factors in the transition process is developed, which will act as a roadmap and enabling the creation of a matrix that can evaluate and monitor the progress of the transition.
Water pollution is a growing problem that is overshadowed by water scarcity. In many parts of the world, human lives are at risk due to the lack of clean water. Water quantity is an immediate problem, but the problem of pollution becomes apparent in the long term. Although paying attention to the issue of water pollution is very important, observations show the expansion and destruction of renewable water resources, etc. In many parts of the world, efforts to increase the quality of the limited water resources available to people are not very strong. According to the World Health Organization, based on an analysis of 625 studies collected from 63 countries, the quality of water around the world is deteriorating due to the growth of urban areas. The increasing incidence of various diseases in different parts of the world is the best reason for the increase in water pollution and is a clear reason for the above-mentioned cases.
Today, healthy drinking water has become an important problem in many countries around the world. Therefore, the United Nations considers attention to this issue a necessity for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Although, currently, various physical, chemical, and biological methods are used to purify water in many parts of the world, however, the use of easy, cheap, and efficient methods has a special priority in developing countries. Today, one of the most efficient and cheapest methods to achieve high-quality water is to promote the use of slow sand filters (SSF), which have been developed in a way inspired by nature. The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the different aspects of using this method and its efficiency in water purification. The literature review showed that designing simple, low-cost, and effective sand filtration systems, especially in rural areas without access to advanced water purification equipment, is a key challenge. Given this information, sand filtration can be used as a nature-based approach for water purification in various countries, especially developing and less developed countries.
Microbial disinfection of water involves the inactivation or removal of pathogenic microorganisms. Conventional methods for microbial water disinfection include chemical oxidation using various oxidants such as chlorine, chlorine dioxide, chloramine, and ozone, as well as ultraviolet radiation. Among these, advanced oxidation and photocatalytic disinfection using semiconductor nanomaterials have emerged as a novel approach for eliminating pathogenic bacteria from aqueous solutions. This study aims to investigate the photocatalytic removal of Escherichia coli (E.coli) bacteria using a graphitic carbon nitride photocatalyst synthesized from melamine as a precursor. The synthesis of the photocatalyst was confirmed through X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). To evaluate the antibacterial performance of the synthesized photocatalysts, the disk diffusion assay and the determination of bacterial viability on solid media after the photocatalytic process were employed. The results demonstrated that the synthesized photocatalysts exhibited excellent removal efficiency against E.coli under visible light irradiation. Among them, graphitic carbon nitride synthesized at a temperature of 550°C and a nitrogen gas flow rate of 20 mL/min (CN-20) achieved complete removal of E.coli with an initial concentration of 10^7 CFU/mL within 4.5 hours under visible light irradiation.
Flood is one of the natural events that in recent decades, due to the expansion of urbanization and land use changes, causes many financial and human losses in different regions of the world, annually. Therefore, flood management in cities by low-impact development methods has become crucial. The current research compares the performance of the approaches of rain gardens, storage units, and bio-retention cells to directing surface runoff to green spaces using the SWMM model for the Chahar-Cheshme River basin of Mashhad city. Due to the lack of a hydrometric station in the city, precipitation and peak flow in the channel were measured for 20 rainfall events from April 2023 to May 2024. The evaluation index including RMSE, NS, and KGE shows the appropriate performance of the model for peak flow estimation. The sensitivity analysis of the model showed that impervious area, width, and impervious area’s roughness coefficient are the most effective parameters to the peak flood discharge, respectively. In terms of reducing the peak discharge and volume of the flood, bio-retention cells, runoff directing to green space, and rain gardens had the best performance, respectively. However, the bio-retention cells had the best performance, but considering operational and maintenance costs, and other conditions, modifying green spaces to direct surface runoff to these spaces is a better and more logical choice for flood management in the study area.
It seems that the water authority and ruler, who is responsible for verifying statistics and information and the correct balance of the country's water and should take action to establish a quantitative and qualitative monitoring system for water delivered to farms and determine the volume and quality of water delivered to users by installing appropriate smart meters, volumetric water delivery, and accurate tools, is more concerned with economics and exercising power through water allocation tools. The information provided has many fundamental ambiguities, which are essential for implementing future programs, including volumetric water delivery to users, as well as developing and implementing an optimal cultivation model. It is necessary to resolve these ambiguities and seek greater alignment and interaction.
In recent years, our country has witnessed the occurrence of natural disasters, including floods, earthquakes, and severe droughts in most parts. Ilam county has witnessed floods almost every year in the past, so in some years, severe floods have destroyed agricultural lands washed away fertile soils and caused irreparable damage to the agricultural lands of this county. This study was conducted to identify the factors affecting flood management in agricultural lands of Ilam county. In this research, a researcher-made questionnaire was used. The statistical population of this study includes experts from Ilam province and county (152 people) and farmers of Ilam county (140 people) who were in the process and were exposed to flood damage. The statistical sample included 103 farmers and 108 experts through Cochran's formula. The collected data were analyzed using two software SPSS, and PLS software. According to the results obtained from gabion construction, dam construction for flood control, improvement of the capacities of existing structures (dams, embankments, etc.), information dissemination about flood management, preparation and formulation of flood management programs by officials, training farmers on necessary actions after a flood, determining the land areas required for implementing flood control projects, and examining the vulnerability of agricultural lands due to floods are among the priorities for flood management among farmers. There is a significant relationship between technical-structural, educational- extension, and economic-social factors and flood management; therefore, flood management depends on technical-structural, socio-economic, and educational-extension factors, and necessary actions must be taken in all three areas to control floods. Of course, according to beta coefficients, the share of technical-structural factors is greater than that of other factors..
One of the important problems in the field of water and wastewater treatment is the investigation of microbial air pollution and the release of suspended particles due to wastewater treatment. Harmful microorganisms in wastewater include different types of bacteria, fungi, etc. For this purpose, two wastewater treatment plants, Khin-Arab and Parkand-Abad, which use deep and surface aeration processes, were studied. Sampling was conducted seasonally with a minimum distance of one meter from barriers, and at a height of 1.5 meters above ground level at both wastewaters. Nutrient agar, McConkey agar and Subrodextrose agar were used for environmental sampling, total number of samples was 400. Then intercropping was done to identify bacteria and fungi species. Analysis of results was carried out using SPSSMODELER18 and RAWGraphs software. Mean values for the density of bacteria were reported 26.98 CFU/plate at Khin-Arab and 26.11 CFU/plate at Parkand-Abad. Mean values for the density of fungi were reported as 4.71 CFU/plate at the Khin-Arab treatment plant and 4.40 CFU/plate at Parkand-Abad. Bacterial pollution, except during the spring, was higher at Khin-Arab compared to Parkand-Abad. The process of fungal pollution trend was similar between the two treatment plants, with no statistically significant difference observed. The two treatment plants have behaved almost the same in terms of the amount of pollution in the total sampling seasons, which can be influenced by various factors such as the larger size of the Khin-Arab treatment plant, more polluted units in the Khin-Arab treatment plant, and the difference in aeration systems.
To convince people of the existence of problematic environmental conditions, those conditions should be classified and a framework should be built to solve them. Framing is one of the paradigm approaches of social constructionism and includes a set of categories that are created by claimants to define a problem and its solutions. The key factor for the success of the framework is the concept of resonance. One of the important environmental issues in Giulan province is the problem of high sediments in the Anzali lagoon. Different frameworks were presented by the claimants to solve this problem. Among them, there is a plan for mechanical descaling by dredging and a plan for desalination with chemicals called the Biogeme project. The present research examines the degree of coordination of these frameworks with the target society. The qualitative method of thematic analysis has been used for the research. The research data is the result of in-depth semi-structured interviews with 30 environmental activists who are aware of the Anzali lagoon desalination projects. The results showed that the biogeme project was not approved by the stakeholders in the region for reasons such as ambiguity in it and lack of alignment with the interests of the people and policymakers, which led to its halting in the initial stages of implementation. The anti-biodredging movement and the belief in mechanical dredging gained more acceptance among the audience due to its alignment with the interests of the stakeholders and the emphasis on sustainable sedimentation methods.
Lack of water limits the production of crops. In order to evaluate water and economic indicators and soil characteristics of pea under plasticulture and planting bed, a factorial experiment was conducted at Razi University in 2019 and 2020 crop years. The studied factors included plasticulture (without nylon, nylon on the plant and nylon on the soil) and the method of planting in the bed (flat, half-meter furrow, and one-meter furrow). The results showed that the plots with plastic mulch on the soil with a half-meter furrow had the highest soil moisture due to the retention of soil water in most growth stages. According to the two indicators of net profit per unit of water consumed and net income of pea in two years, the nylon treatment along with ridge and furrow, especially treatment of nylon on soil and half-meter furrow, has increased these two indicators, so this treatment can be recommended to increase the farmer's income and preserve soil water resources. It is recommended to use permanent ridge and furrow to reduce costs in future research.
