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Involving the global issues as listed in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in education is necessarily done in the education process, especially in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning. Exposure to global issues is known to improve students' understanding, awareness, and ability to solve urgent issues faced by global society. This paper aims to find out the trend of research on the coverage of SDGs in students' learning process. This systematic literature analysis was done by applying Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Method. A total of 25 studies were recognized through a systematic search by using Sustainability, SDGs, and EFL as keywords. The result shows that the trend of associating SDGs with EFL settings was done mostly in Indonesia. In the recent year 2022, it reached the highest number of studies in the particular matter with 7 total of research. It was also found that the study involving SDGs on EFL learning was mostly done in the tertiary setting, compared with K-12, junior high school, secondary, high school, and other educational institutions. It was also discovered that the specific area of study enhances EFL students' learning achievement, environmental awareness, global citizen values, as well as students' levels of self-norms, beliefs, and self-value.

This article maps the scientific production and the contents associated with the sustainable development goals and their integration with universities during the past 21 years. Although many of the topics related to sustainable development goals (SDGs) have been addressed in different studies for decades, it is since 2015 onwards that they gained greater prominence due to the inclusion of higher education as an important actor in the fulfillment of the 2030 agenda and the United Nations SDGs. For the purpose of this paper, a bibliometric analysis of 871 papers, 535 documents in Scopus, and 336 in Web of Science (WoS) from 1998 to 2019 was performed, and the Bibliometrix analysis tool was used. The objective of this mapping is to answer the following research question: Is the integration of the Sustainable Development Goals and Universities a field of study? An analysis of the network of collaborators and trend topics in Scopus and WoS allows us to identify the concurrence and relationships of some keywords, such as sustainable development, sustainability and planning, and some background words, such as humans and global health. In another analysis, the word "higher education" is related to change. This article suggests that the integration of the Sustainable Development Goals in Universities is becoming a field of study under exploration, with a peak of production in 2016 and that has remained stable in the last three years, but thanks to the leading role assigned to Universities, intellectual production should increase in the following years.

While initial discussions of the third mission of universities focussed on market-orientated behaviours of universities, more recently it has been connected to activities that focus on social justice and promoting sustainability (Trencher, Bai, Evans, McCormick & Yarime, 2014; Appe & Barragán, 2017). It has been suggested that the third mission of universities in the Global South may be particularly significant in addressing acutely felt issues of climate change, economic inequalities, food insecurity and urban sprawl. The current paper explores this and asks whether the quadruple helix (Carayannis & Campbell, 2010) is visible in their engagement activities. Using a synthesis of case studies developed as part of the 'Strengthening Urban Engagement of Universities in Africa and Asia' (SUEUAA) project, a collaborative research project spanning seven cities (Glasgow; Harare; Dar-es-Salaam; Johannesburg; Duhok; Sanandaj; and Manila), we explore ongoing engagement activities where universities respond to city demand. We frame this in terms of Sustainable Development Goals. Results indicate while universities were seen to address city demands, they often reacted without a network of other influential actors (i.e. industry, local government or NGO partners). This suggests that currently, the quadruple helix is underdeveloped in these cities, and more work should be done in creating closer links.

If we intend to successfully integrate Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in the general educational programs, it is important to utilize available methods and resources. This paper argues that English Language Learning textbooks in Iran have the potential to be useful resources and a viable springboard for the implementation of ESD. For this purpose, the present study explores the content of English textbook series developed by Iranian authors through the lenses of ESD. The framework for analysis was based on UNESCO's Earth Charter and the Roadmap for Implementing the Global Action Program on ESD. The findings reveal that the themes of sustainability are present in these English textbooks to a good extent. However, the results suggest that there must be a more even distribution of such themes throughout the series. Also, the role of the teacher as a facilitator in developing discussions around such themes is highlighted.

This paper aims to estimate sustainability elasticities to investigate how the sustainable development pillars in Iran should interact with those of the greatest economies in the west and east of the world, i.e., the US and China, respectively. For this estimation, this research uses SEY model including simultaneous equations system and Granger causality within 1972–2019 via two approaches of limited and full information. The results show high elasticities of sustainability among these countries, implying their considerable spillover effects and confirming the integrated sustainability perspective. In addition, the results show that the sustainability spillover effects of China are more massive than those the US on Iran sustainable development pillars. This result has two implications. The first one accepts the considerable flow of spillover effects between Iran and China. The second one shows that Iran has been unsuccessful in employing and activating the potential flows of sustainability spillover effects from the US as the greatest global economy. Therefore, policy-makers in Iran should consider a peaceful and collaborative relationship with the global community to improve and accelerate its sustainable development progress. Also, they should keep their relationship with China as the second biggest economy in the world while improving the relationship with the US to activate the potential spillover effects between the sustainability pillars of Iran and those of the US. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: During the COVID-19 pandemic and challenges, medical education with insight toward training competent students with a global vision has highlighted the necessity of a robust approach toward sustainable development (SD) on internationalization. Inevitable transformations in medical education and its internationalization component due to the COVID-19 pandemic have not yet been investigated. Accordingly, the objective of this study was to assess the current situation and propose the operational framework of internationalization for medical education with a global vision toward SD. Evidence Acquisition: A critical review was conducted on English papers extracted from Google Scholar, Scopus, PubMed, and Elsevier databases using the following search terms: Sustainable development, operational approach, educational environment, management strategies, internationalization, and COVID-19. Boolean operators were used to eliminate inappropriate hits with a focus on research goals. Ineligible studies were excluded by screening titles and abstracts. The knowledge management was applied to the related findings of the internationalization of medical education components. Results: Evidence presents a new order of internationalization components of internal and external dimensions with an educational paradigm shift to virtual programs. Assessing these dimensions indicated the requirement of implementing SD. The suggested pathway should initiate from the internal institution dimensions (facilities and budget component with generating income), followed by the external institution dimensions (sociocultural element and nation-building). Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic has forced educational institutions to shift to virtual education. The designed framework highlights educational activities toward virtual education and earning income, empowering faculties, and meeting social needs in medical education to achieve SD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historical hydraulic systems represent a significant part of landscapes and global heritage. However, from the second half of the 20th century onwards, substantial socio-economic as well as technological changes occurring worldwide have put them at risk of abandonment and, eventually, of disappearing. Recent studies and international conventions, including the ICOMOS-IFLA, framed historical hydraulic systems and water management techniques in a new dimension, not only as an element of the past to be preserved but an active element to achieve sustainable economic development and mitigate climate change. Those qanats or karez represented a major historical hydraulic sustainable solution for irrigation, providing a water supply, which during the last few decades, has been slowly replaced with modern, although polluting and unsustainable, technologies. Building on the recent ICOMOS-IFLA Principles Concerning Rural Landscape as Heritage and the recommendation provided by initial research, this paper aims to show how qanats can become: (1) an important local and regional cultural and natural heritage; (2) a valuable economic resource; (3) an environmentally friendly system that could at least partially replace the existing polluting solution (i.e., dams and other modern infrastructures). To achieve these goals, we propose a restoration or reuse approach for the qanat based on the necessity of multiple stakeholders at local and national levels using sustainable materials and respecting the different values as a heritage place. Our case study is the No-Ras qanat in North-western Iran. In the conclusion, we also illustrate the relevance of the aims and methods of this paper in the light of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between the environment and green projects has become an important issue since the 1970s. This issue is of particular importance for Iran, which seeks to solve the problem of environmental pollution caused by the consumption of fossil fuels and also seeks to increase the participation of green energy in the economy through the development of green projects. This study aims to investigate the environmental impact of the Kahak wind farm project in the Qazvin province of Iran. In this regard, the opinions of 10 green project experts and the Riam matrix method were used as a flexible and acceptable method in calculating the environmental impact of economic projects in this paper. The results revealed that this wind farm project positively impacts air quality and climate, social welfare, and hydraulic resource. At the same time, patrimony, fauna, and vegetation are affected negatively by this project. As the practical policy implications, the paper recommends strategies to increase private sector participation, combined location of green projects based on feasibility and environmental impacts, and establishment of Regional Green Development Projects (RGDP). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable development and reducing greenhouse gas emissions require optimizing the structure of energy production as the main factor in the emission of pollutants in Iran's electricity industry. Over the past years, environmental scientists have proposed carbon tax (CT) and carbon emission trading (CET) as policy tools to reduce pollutant emissions in developed and developing economies. Due to poor access to environmental data and the lack of effective pollution control laws and policies in Iran, efforts to realize the effectiveness of these policies in Iran have been inadequate. The present paper establishes a system dynamics model with feedback to fill these gaps in analyzing the effects of the CT and CET schemes. The following eight scenarios were considered and examined: a baseline scenario (BAU scenario), an emission tax scenario, an emission trading mechanism scenario, an energy supply scenario (to increase electricity generation), an emission tax scenario with investment in technology research and development (to increase energy efficiency), a tax scenario on emissions along with increasing energy supply, the scenario of emission trading mechanism with investment in technology research and development, and the scenario of emission trading mechanism with increasing energy supply. The results showed that while both CT and CET policy groups can be effective in reducing carbon emissions in thermal power plants, in the long run, using price tools to maintain energy security reduces the efficiency of policies greatly. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of CT policy in reducing emissions is higher. Also, despite the allocation of revenue from the application of scenarios to the development of renewable energy, the development of this sector cannot compensate for the reduction in the supply of thermal power plants following the implementation of these policies. As a result, other supportive policies are necessary for the further and faster development of the renewable sector and optimizing the energy structure with an emission reduction approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study relies on a unique synthesis of ambidexterity theory and the natural resource orchestration approach to investigate how green intellectual capital elements, namely green human, structural, and relational capital, along with ambidextrous green innovation, trigger a synergy in favor of environmental performance. In particular, this paper primarily aims to test the mediating role of ambidextrous green innovation in the relationship between green intellectual capital and environmental performance. Based on a survey of 105 Iranian public listed companies, the results indicate that green intellectual capital elements are not directly associated with environmental performance. Instead, they influence environmental performance only through the channel of ambidextrous green innovation as a mediating variable. This is the first study to simultaneously embed the resource orchestration theory in the green intellectual capital and ambidexterity literature. The findings of the current study offer new insights into the issue of how organizations gain maximum benefit from the orchestration of their various green assets and capabilities, including green intellectual capital and ambidextrous green innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty alleviation is a global challenge that concerns particularly developing countries, and its reduction has been identified as the first Sustainable Development Goals in 2015. Poverty is a multidimensional and place-oriented phenomenon that cannot be determined with monetary and strict indicators. It also is interrelated with many factors, including household livelihood strategies. Therefore, the main goals of this paper were (a) to introduce a local index to measure the multidimensional poverty situation of rural areas of Iran, (b) to introduce a proper index to evaluate the livelihood strategy of rural households (LSI), and (c) to investigate the relationship between poverty and livelihood strategy. This study uses the multidimensional poverty index (MPI) and a fuzzy approach to evaluate household poverty and livelihood strategy. A sample includes about 20 thousand rural households and was used in this regard. The results indicated that the value of MPI is 0.349, and about 45% of rural households are deprived in at least two-thirds of poverty indicators, and 62.5% of them live in deprived households. Education dimension had the highest contribution in MPI, the LSI value was 0.531, which means rural households often have integrated livelihood strategy, and rural households whose livelihood strategies were more dependent on agriculture also faced with higher poverty and deprivation scores. Finally, the elimination of rural poverty requires a smart approach that is both holistic and systematic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modern world has given rise to a new phenomenon known as 'divergence of sciences', meaning that various scientific activities occasionally affect a particular matter in different and sometimes contradictory ways. Considering this phenomenon, this paper discusses the relationships between the mutual interplay of legal, managerial, and engineering activities pertaining to the sustainable development of green buildings and has designed and explained a legal management model with an approach to green buildings in Iran as its main contribution. For this purpose, the qualitative research method was adopted, which entailed interviewing subject experts through the snowball research method, in combination with the quantitative method. The necessary requirements and identified indicators including, General Practical Approaches, Engineering, Managerial and Legal Indicators (EI, MI, LI), presented in this study, can significantly help coordinate the aggregate force of the three disciplines, and the main priorities set to achieve the comprehensive sustainable development goals (SDGs). According to the analyses of fifty-one identified indicators and their influence in four different fields on the SDGs, the study underscored the theory that even in the engineering world there is not a significant difference between these four fields in terms of implementing the SDGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coherence and coordination among interdependent policy sectors are considered key for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Literature on policy coherence argues that a lack of coordination may lead to policy incoherence; however, literature on coordination also sometimes points to the reversed causality that incoherencies in policies or in governance functions (functional incoherence) may hinder coordinated policy outcomes; in fact, these assumptions have rarely been further theorized or tested empirically. In this paper, we hypothesize the higher functional or policy coherence, the higher coordination at process level and the higher the likelihood that coordination at process level is translated into coordination at outcome level. We test this hypothesis for cross-sectoral coordination challenges among different water using sectors in six different basins located in Germany, Iran, Mongolia, Spain, and South Africa. At first glance, four cases seem to confirm the first part of the hypothesis for functional coherence and three for policy coherence. It remains difficult to establish causality. Whether functional and policy coherence translate into coordination at process level seems to depend on a functioning coordination body. We further find that functional and policy incoherencies may either lead to coordination problems (in view of conflicts of interest) or even go along with a high level of coordination at the process level, possibly to compensate for incoherencies. Neither functional nor policy coherence change the relationship of coordination at process and outcome level. To explain coordination at the outcome level, other factors need to be considered. • The paper explores how (in)coherence in policies and responsibilities affects coordination at process and outcome level. • It presents a rigorous comparative study of cross-sectoral coordination in six river basins worldwide. • Coherence may be conducive towards coordination at process level, but it remains difficult to establish causality. • Incoherencies may both hinder or stimulate coordination at process level. • Coherence in policies and responsibilities does not change the relationship of coordination at process and outcome level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prioritizing the Rural development is one of the fundamental concerns of the Islamic Republic of Iran that is not achieved only through the agriculture development in villages of Iran, since weakness of agricultural foundations affect the unstable ecological conditions including the shortage of agricultural fields and the lack of the increase in number of land plots under cultivation, and cannot provide the proper social and economic indices for rural development. Experiences of successful countries in the rural development show the importance of the village industrialization in creating the job opportunities and preventing the rural migration to the cities. Theory of development and industrialization of rural areas is a factor affecting the economic and social development process and may be considered as the last solution for solving the problem of poverty in the rural areas as we see its success in China through this paper. Therefore, this paper examines the role of the handicraft production in sustainable development in the Sar Aqa Seyyed village. A number of handicrafts including carpet weaving as the main handicrafts of Sar Aqa Seyyed village are still flourishing. Handicraft production and development in this village not only creates employment opportunities and income, but also can play a major role in sustainable development and the village independence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a response to the urgent call for recovery actions against the COVID-19 crisis, this research aims to identify action priority areas post COVID-19 toward achieving the targets of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) within the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development launched by the United Nations (UN). This paper applies a mixed-method approach to map the post-COVID-19 SDGs targets on a fuzzy action priority surface at the country level in Iran, as a developing country, by taking the following four main steps: (1) using a modified Delphi method to make a list of the SDGs targets influenced by COVID-19; (2) using the best–worst method, as a multi-criteria decision-making tool, to weight the COVID-19 effects on the SDGs targets achievement; also (3) to weight the impact of the SDGs targets on the sustainable development implementation; and finally (4) designing a fuzzy inference system to calculate the action priority scores of the SDGs targets. As a result, reduction of poor people proportion by half (SDG 1.2), development-oriented policies for supporting creativity and job creation (SDG 8.3), end the pandemics and other epidemics (SDG 3.3), reduction of deaths and economic loss caused by disasters (SDG 11.5), and financial support for small-scale enterprises (SDG 9.3) were identified as the highest priorities for action, respectively, in the recovery agenda for sustainable development post COVID-19. The provided fuzzy action priority surface supports the UN's SDGs achievement and implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Iran. It also serves as a guideline to help the government, stakeholders, and policy-makers better analyze the long-term effects of the pandemic on the SDGs and their associated targets and mitigate its adverse economic, social, and environmental consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An integrated approach to the key elements of rural spatial policy-making -including places, people and activities- in the formulation of laws, programs and policies; promotes sustainable rural development. Lack of integrated vision, while having a sectorial approach, in the process of formulating rural development programs in Iran, has caused serious challenge to the sustainable development of these areas. The aim of this paper is analyzing the qualitative content of spatial policies of rural development in Iran. The present paper is a fundamental research in terms of nature; and a developmental research, in terms of purpose. Data analyzing method in this paper is based on qualitative-content-oriented Analysis. Spatial policy subjects, include place-based policies, physical sustainable development, and the institutionalization of sustainable development policies. These categories include 11 indicators (subcategories), constituting the conceptual framework of the research. Qualitative-content Analysis of spatial policies, based on the 11 indicators or sub-categories of the research, 143 codes were obtained, after extracting the unit of meaning, compressing the sentences, and encoding. These codes were categorized in different categories (categories and indicators), respecting their conceptual and thematic relationship. Results showed that of total of 143 codes extracted, the index of planning nature, budgeting, and making Sustainable Development National Strategy, with 21 codes (14.68%) ranked in the first; three indicators of economic dimensions, physical-infrastructural dimensions, and coordination of sectors and Different levels (national and local), ranked the second place with 18 codes (12.58%); and finally the indicator of backwarded-regions protection, with 15 codes (10.48%) ranked the third place. Therefore, the orientation of spatial policies for rural development is towards planning and budgeting factors, physical-infrastructural dimensions, economic, and backwarded regions supporting, while the share of social and environmental factors and the participation of NGOs and the private sector in the formulation of these policies, is little. The Innovational aspect of this paper is its comprehensive analysis of policy-making documents - including five-year development plans, general policies of these plans, general laws and system policies (33 related documents)- using spatial policy indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the empowering potential of digital technologies for women entrepreneurs, a transformative force that transcends all fields of knowledge. It specifically examines how technology can equip women to overcome socio-cultural and economic barriers, focusing on the case of Iran. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, utilizing a literature review within the qualitative framework to identify key empowerment drivers. Subsequently, a quantitative approach leverages DEMATEL to pinpoint the most impactful drivers. This investigation aims to provide stakeholders with actionable insights, highlighting the critical role of technology in fostering equitable and sustainable economic advancement for women entrepreneurs. Furthermore, the study emphasizes the importance of gathering information from a developing nation like Iran, as its findings can hold significant implications for other countries experiencing similar developmental stages. Ultimately, the research seeks to inform the creation of effective policies, support initiatives, and educational programs. These interventions aim to empower women entrepreneurs to leverage digital tools for sustainable business growth, ultimately contributing to a more equitable and environmentally conscious future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Balanced spatial distribution of urban development infrastructure is one of the most important signs of social justice and urban sustainable development. In this study, urban development indicators in the cities of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad provinces have been studied and evaluated. The research is practical and quantitative in terms of purpose and nature and has been analyzed using the Preference Selection Index of inequalities between 17 cities in the province. Using the weight obtained in this model, the normal weight matrix of the studied indices was designed and the score of the preference selection index for the cities of the province was calculated. The results show that the highest score of preference selection index is assigned to Yasuj city (0.9296) and Dogonbadan city with score (0.6288) and Dehdasht city with score (0.3608) after Yasuj gained the most points. In this model, the city of Chitab had the lowest score with score (0.0213). In this study, a comparison has been made between preference selection index and entropy and Topsis models. The highest score of the entropy model is assigned to the city of Yasuj (0.7741) and the city of Sarfaryab with the score (-0.0028) had the lowest score. The highest score of Topsis model belonged to Yasuj city (0.6534) and Sarfaryab city had the lowest score with score (0.0867). The Rankings performed by entropy and Topsis models are similar and these two models show the scores of the first and second cities of the urban network, ie the cities of Yasuj and Gachsaran, very closely. In the Preference selection index, the difference in the score of the studied cities was higher and this index shows more inequality than the entropy and Topsis models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

If we intend to successfully integrate Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in the general educational programs, it is important to utilize available methods and resources. This paper argues that English Language Learning textbooks in Iran have the potential to be useful resources and a viable springboard for the implementation of ESD. For this purpose, the present study explores the content of English textbook series developed by Iranian authors through the lenses of ESD. The framework for analysis was based on UNESCO's Earth Charter and the Roadmap for Implementing the Global Action Program on ESD. The findings reveal that the themes of sustainability are present in these English textbooks to a good extent. However, the results suggest that there must be a more even distribution of such themes throughout the series. Also, the role of the teacher as a facilitator in developing discussions around such themes is highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determining the manner of land-use and the spatial structure of cities on the one hand, and the economic value of each piece of land on the other hand, land-use planning is always considered as the main part of urban planning. In this regard, emphasizing the efficient use of land, the sustainable development approach has presented a new perspective on urban planning and consequently on its most important pillar, i.e. land-use planning. In order to evaluate urban land-use, it has been attempted in this paper to select the most significant indicators affecting urban land-use and matching sustainable development indicators. Due to the significance of preserving ancient monuments and the surroundings as one of the main pillars of achieving sustainability, in this research, sustainability indicators have been selected emphasizing the preservation of ancient monuments and historical observance of the city of Susa as one of the historical cities of Iran. It has also been attempted to integrate these criteria with other land-use sustainability indicators. For this purpose, Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) and the AHP model have been used for providing maps displaying spatial density and combining layers as well as providing final maps respectively. Moreover, the rating of sustainability will be studied in different districts of the city of Shush so as to evaluate the status of land sustainability in different parts of the city. The results of the study show that different neighborhoods of Shush do not have the same sustainability in land-use such that neighborhoods located in the eastern half of the city, i.e. the new neighborhoods, have a higher sustainability than those of the western half. It seems that the allocation of a high percentage of these areas to arid lands and historical areas is one of the main reasons for their sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural endeavors, especially in developing nations, entail inherent risks. Amidst challenges related to capital and agricultural marketing, contract farming emerges as a highly effective strategy. It not only facilitates capital accumulation but also ensures consistent product sales, establishes fair pricing, and contributes to the overall balanced development of the agricultural sector. This concern has been a longstanding global consideration, with Iran now addressing it. Recognizing the paramount importance of implementing contemporary agricultural methodologies, including contract farming, this research systematically investigates factors influencing farmers' intentions in Iran. A survey methodology is employed for systematic information collection from a statistical population of 98,777 farmers in rural Markazi Province, Iran. Using the Karjesi and Morgan table for sample size determination, a representative subset of 383 farmers is selected through stratified random sampling, ensuring proportional assignment within strata. A researcher-made questionnaire, validated by expert panels and confirmed for reliability through Cronbach's alpha coefficient, serves as the research instrument. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 27, and structural equation modeling was performed with SmartPLS4. The findings reveal that trust (0.528), awareness (0.332), and attitude (0.168), exert the most substantial causal influence on farmers' intention to embrace contract farming. Consequently, the research findings offer practical recommendations for the adoption of contract farming, providing valuable insights to policymakers and stakeholders for implementing targeted interventions aimed at boosting farmers' willingness to participate in contractual agreements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extensive oil and gas industrial sectors have caused several environmental problems in Iran. This motivated the governments to consider the potential capacity developing renewable energies such as biomass energy as an excellent strategic plan for sustainable sources. However, biomass energy is at the early stage because of multi-dimensional barriers (e.g., social, technical, and policy). Thus, there is a need to assess and evaluate the existing challenges and provide a strategic plan to assist decision-makers, for the country's sustainable biomass energy development. A novel approach is developed in the current study by extending the Interval-valued Spherical fuzzy best–worst method (IVSFS-BWM) and decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (IVSFS-DEMATEL). n the seven steps methodology, IVSFS-BWM is utilized to derive the optimum importance weights of contributing factors in sustainable challenges of biomass energy. Then, IVSFS-DEMATEL is employed to find causality and interrelationships between the contributing factors. 39 numbers of challenges as influential parameters are taken into account to study the challenges of biomass energy. A comparison with familiar decision-making competitors' tools has been conducted to show the advantages and robustness of the proposed methodology. The results indicated that the proposed method can adequately deal with subjective uncertainties from decision-making opinions, and the challenge of the contributing factors in biofuel energy as "fear of public health and safety hazards" needs necessary attention to the contributing factors in the system such as "lack of professional training institute," "lack of infrastructural requirements," and "lack of investors," considering the resilience aspects. Moreover, the sensitivity analysis is conducted and by checking all contributing factors, concluded that the system is not fully sensitive to the variation, as it is less partially dependent and reflects the conformity of obtained results as accurately as possible. The outcomes assist decision-makers in providing an effective strategic plan by eliminating the multi-dimensional barriers in sustainable biomass energy development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ensuring international transport corridors' safety is essential for countries along the routes. For the sustainable development of international transport channels, this paper discusses how to evaluate the operational risks and how to alleviate the adverse effects caused by emergencies. First, an indicator system of international transport corridors' operational risks was constructed, which consists of 30 indicators from five dimensions of politics, economy, society, safety, and technology. Secondly, a comprehensive scoring approach combined with a network analysis method was applied to examine the effects caused by operational hazards. On this basis, the quantitative method and rigorous statistical analysis were used to evaluate the China-Pakistan-Iran-Turkey International Transport Corridor in the south line of the Silk Road Economic Belt, whose operational risks from 2010 to 2019 were analyzed. Finally, the operational risk index was discussed in detail. Results demonstrate the following. (1) During the China-Pakistan-Iran-Turkey International Transport Corridor, the Pakistan section has the highest operational risk index, and the next culprit is Turkey, followed by Iran. The Chinese section has the lowest operational risk index. (2) Pakistan has been trapped in severe political risks and security risks in recent years. Turkey suffers from severe security risks due to the Kurdish problem. Iran ranks first in terms of economic risk and social risk. Special attention should be paid to the natural risks for China. (3) Pakistan's operational risks will exhibit consistently high in the future, while China appears downwards in long-term trend. The operational risk index in Iran is on the rise. Turkey shows a flattening of and then a slight decline in the foreseeable future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water scarcity is a global concern and poses significant problems to countries with arid and semi-arid climates, like Iran. Considering financial difficulties, a lack of knowledge about high-tech alternatives, low incomes, a lack of access to high-tech tools, and low maintenance capabilities in developing countries, solar still desalination is a decent technology for providing proper water, especially for rural areas. However, the low water-production rate using this method dictates a very vast area requirement for solar still farms in order to provide significant amounts of water. In this research, we proposed a mirror-enhanced solar still and mathematically compared its water-production rate to that of conventional ones. In comparison to conventional solar stills, our proposed reflector-enhanced solar still benefits from several improvements, including lower glass temperatures, increased water basing temperatures, and receiving much more solar irradiation. Hence, the proposed system can increase water production from 7.5 L/day to 24 L/day. The results showed that the proposed method is highly effective and could be used in field-scale projects in arid and semi-arid climates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Applying livelihood resilience thinking in the research of rural tourism destinations is a new perspective on sustainable tourism. Despite conducting studies in the field, a comprehensive review and analysis of this entire field is limited and a comprehensive knowledge map has not been done. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to analyze the knowledge map of livelihood resilience of rural tourism destinations, based on the review of 886 documents including books, articles, etc.; also, map analysis in this area is a topic in Iran-related research based on the review of 15 article-type documents taken from the Scopus database. By searching the keyword "livelihood resilience of rural tourism destinations" from 2003 to July 2023 and then by adding the word Iran, this search was carried out from 2016 to July 2023 for research related to Iran, to analyze the science. Analysis of co-citation of previous studies, coauthorship, and co-occurrence of keywords in VOSviewer software. The findings showed that authors such as Yiling, Ying and Jay have published the highest scientific documents in the world and Azadi and Savari in connection with Iran. The co-occurrence analysis of the words, at the global level and also in relation to Iran, for each of them revealed four research clusters in the livelihood resilience studies of rural tourism destinations, whose core keywords include tourism, resilience, livelihood, tourism destination, sustainability, tourism development, ecotourism and sustainable development. This comprehensive and systematic study is a valuable reference for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reduction of environmental impact in buildings and the enhancement of environmental performance in the built environment are the key objectives of sustainable development. To achieve this, the adoption of green buildings requires a comprehensive construction approach that focuses on delivering environmentally friendly solutions throughout the entire construction process. This research aims to bridge the gap between theoretical concepts and the practical realities of construction in Iran. It proposes essential criteria and assigns weights to them for creating green buildings based on the opinions of experts from different backgrounds. To understand how buildings are influenced by the environment, society and economics, relevant factors were identified using library research. Web-based surveys involving experts, including architects, engineers, and environmental specialists, were conducted to gather insights into these criteria. A total of 14 criteria were accepted and categorized into economic, environmental, and social dimensions. The Analytic Network Process (ANP) methodology was employed to assess the opinions of 45 expert participants, as provided in the questionnaire. The findings indicate that, among sustainability features, the environmental factor holds the highest significance in Iran, while the social factor is considered the least important. Looking at the sub-criteria, reducing water consumption, financial incentives, and achieving energy efficiency at a reasonable cost are given the highest priority within the environmental, economic, and social aspects of green buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantity and quality distribution of surface water and groundwater are changing under the impacts of both climate variability and human activities. The main goal of this paper is to evaluate the abovementioned impacts on the water resources in the Saveh plain, central Iran. To achieve this aim, spatial and temporal changes of the surface and groundwater quality and quantity have been analyzed, using hydrometric and meteorological data. The nonparametric Mann-Kendall test was used to identify trends and change points in the annual rainfall and runoff for the period of 1946 to 2011. In order to analyze the impacts of the Saveh Dam on runoff, the dam operation year, 1994, was considered as a change point. Mann-Kendall test results show that rainfall time series was divided into two parts, namely, 1966-1989 and 1990-2007, and averages of annual rainfall in five stations increase from 10 to 21 %. Also, runoff time series was divided into two parts, namely, 1946-1995 and 1996-2007 and averages of annual runoff in four stations decrease from 8 to 83 %. Results show that rainfall changes in Shahabasi, Razin, Jalayer, Emamabad, and Ahmadabad stations increased from 9 to 33 % before and after 1994. Nevertheless, runoff decreased from 24 to 81 %. The results indicate that the greatest lack of runoff between stations is at Shahabasi station and one important reason for the severe lack is operation of the Saveh Dam in 1994. Highest groundwater level decline, about 168.67 cm, occurred in 1994 that is the operation year of the Saveh Dam. Trend analysis of surface water quality show that electrical conductivity increased 957.34 μmho/cm before and after 1994. Also, the Wilcox water quality classification method has been reduced from C3-S1 to C4-S2. Average groundwater electrical conductivity (EC) during 1999-2003 and 2004-2009 increased to 89.6 μmho/cm. Also, the groundwater quality indices for agricultural usages are classified in four classes including, C4-S2 16, C4-S1 46, C3-S1 30, and C2-S1 8 % of the total aquifer area. In conclusion, in order to have a sustainable development, the effects of water projects on environment and water resources need to be predicted very carefully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective design of biodiesel supply chain network can reduce many of its high production costs. There are various uncertain parameters in real world that if ignored may greatly affect the optimal configuration of the designed biodiesel supply chain. Scenario planning is a powerful tool which can help the decision makers for long-term planning under uncertainties. Therefore, in this paper, a scenario-based robust optimization model is presented for designing the biodiesel supply chain networks under uncertainties. Some of the parameters including demand, supply, costs, and environmental impacts have uncertain nature. For the first time, in this study, the values of these uncertain parameters are estimated by a proposed scenario-planning method. The presented scenario-planning approach is based on cross-impact analysis and visualization methods. Non-edible sources such as Jatropha, Norouzak, and waste cooking oil are considered as raw materials of biodiesel production, and for the first time Norouzak has been used as one of the sources in designing biodiesel supply chain. In addition, an environmental constraint is considered and the environmental impacts of all processes are obtained by Eco-indicator 99 method. The presented model can determine the number, location, and capacity of the facilities. The proposed model is implemented in a real case study in Iran for a 7-year planning horizon. The results show the effectiveness of the presented approach in designing the biodiesel supply chain networks under uncertainties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The agricultural sector is crucial to attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) since it ensures food security, protects natural resources, and promotes rural livelihoods. However, the success of sustainable agricultural practices depends not only on effective policies and technologies but also on agricultural experts' perceptions and attitudes, as well as their willingness to embrace sustainable practices. Therefore, this study aims to: (i) investigate the perceptions and attitudes of agricultural experts in Guilan Province (Iran) towards the SDGs, and (ii) determine their educational needs regarding the SDGs and identify specific areas requiring more attention and targeted interventions. This research adopts a quantitative approach and relies on a survey with a random sample of 152 agricultural experts. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 26 software and descriptive and inferential statistics. Agricultural experts perceived most SDGs as having high educational needs. Priority SDGs for education and training included SDG 14 (Life below water), whereas areas requiring increased knowledge among the employees relate, inter alia, to SDGs 1 (No poverty) and 2 (Zero hunger). The study contributes to the effective implementation of the SDGs by encouraging a more sustainable and resilient agricultural sector connected with broader goals of sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Iran is among the top ten CO 2 emitters in the world. • Achieving sustainable development undermined by heavy reliance on fossil fuels. • Environmental indicators are not consistent with the society and the economy. • However, improving the social indices strengthens the environmental indicators. • Altering the environmental subsystem resulted in convergence of sustainable system. Abstract Iran is among the top ten CO 2 emitters in the world and has pledged to reduce such emissions by up to 12 percent by 2030 through various policies and strategies. However, achieving this is somewhat undermined by the country's heavy reliance on fossil fuels which contributes to environmental pollution and depletion of natural resources. It is therefore important to have an understanding of the economic, social, and environmental subsystems and their interactions in order to formulate a suitable development path or model. Due to the lack of comprehensive studies on the current situation and the dynamics among these variables, this paper provides a multi-stage analysis of the issues based on data from 1992 to 2015 to construct the principal component analysis (PCA) combined index for each subsystem. Then, the interactions among the subsystems are investigated over the short- and long-terms using the vector autoregressive (VAR) model. The results of the PCA show that Iran lacks a balanced sustainable development approach as improvements in environmental indicators do not match those of the society and the economy indices. Further, the associated time path for the economic and societal indices depicts an increasing trend over time, especially in the economy index and that, since 2010, this subsystem has overtaken the societal index. Estimations of the VAR model, impulse response functions, and variance decomposition analysis show that the country's economic development has seriously undermined the environment even as improving the social indices has strengthened the environmental indicators. The interactions among subsystems show that economic development of the country took little consideration of environmental issues. This is the main reason for the backwardness of the environmental indices and its divergence from economic and societal indices. It is clear that assuming equal rates of growth for all subsystems have not produced a balanced development path. For Iran to achieve her sustainable development goals there should be increased focus on the environmental subsystem with the overall system converging symmetrically when the high growth rate assumption (double) is applied for this index compared with the societal and economical indices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this paper, the full repowering of a steam Power Plant with a capacity of 320 MW in Iran was evaluated technically and economically. Implementation of this plan for the target power plant was selected because of its over 30 years of age. Due to the presence of steam flash feed water preheaters and the possibility of preheating feed water entirely or partially prior to entering heat recovery steam generator, the effect of using or not using these low and high pressure equipment was evaluated in different cases. To do this, five different cases were proposed and reviewed. Considering the available gas turbines in Iran, the gas turbines models Siemens V94.2 and V94.3A were selected. In each case, the optimum point is obtained in terms of the lowest cost of electricity generation. Finally, after reviewing the results of all cases, full repowering plan with parallel feed water heating was selected as the best alternative in terms of energy and exergy efficiencies and the price of generating electricity. If two heat recovery steam generators and two V94.3A gas turbines are used, the net exergy and energy efficiencies for the cycle can reach 54.49% and 52.98%, respectively. Moreover, the power capacity of a repowered unit is equal to 700.44 MW with electricity generation price of 0.05986 $/kWh. Graphical abstract Image 1057 Highlights • In the present study, a real power plant has been studied (A Case Study). • The five different arrangements of feed water heaters for proposed scenarios have been considered. • The merging of water-gas heat exchangers with existing preheaters has been investigated. • Optimum techno-economic case for repowering has been presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pharmaceutical Industry in Iran has difficulties such as inappropriate distribution, expired drugs and late drug delivery to patients. To overcome these issues and reach a sustainable development, the environmental and social aspects must be considered beside the economic aspects. In this paper, we address the Pharmaceutical distribution network and design a novel model that helps the distributing companies to decide strategic (determining the main and local distribution centers) and tactical decision (determining the flow) according to the three aspects of sustainability. The solution through the evolutionary algorithms presents the best selection of local distribution centers and the optimum amount of flow of medicine through the network with respect to three aspects of sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carbon sequestration project is being implemented under the support of various international organizations aiming for reducing greenhouse gas emissions across developing countries. Mahalat County is one of the leading regions in Iran to implement this project. Despite the objective achievements, the current project has left many ecological, economic, social and psychological impacts in the study areas. Through a survey research method, the present study analyzed these impacts from the perspective of 105 experts. The results revealed that the sequestration project could significantly reduce the risk of runoff and flooding by implementing watershed management, grazing and desertification operations, and preventing soil erosion to an acceptable extent. By holding six skill-based training courses, the participants' job skills were improved to a desirable level, and simultaneously with the holding of these courses, 5 microcredit funds were also established, which provided the necessary economic support to start 49 businesses. By forming 22 development groups, the group members' social capital was improved to a good extent, especially in the dimension of social trust. In addition, as a result of holding skill-based training courses and organizing villagers into development groups, their attitude and behavior towards natural resources and environment improved. In general, the results indicated that the measures taken in the project had a significant impact on the formation of balanced sustainable development components, as well as achieving the goal of soil carbon sequestration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The peasant exploitation system is an undeniable fact in the rural economy of Iran. Many rural families’ incomes are based on this agricultural system. Despite many problems, peasant farmers are considered as the most important factor for achieving agricultural and rural developments due to their knowledge of the countryside and agriculture. In this research, we studied the problems and challenges of peasant farmers in Zanjan Province. This research was an applied one in terms of purpose and descriptive and analytical in nature. The data required for the research were collected by using a survey method (questionnaire, interview, and observation). The statistical population of this study included 40 villages from 8 cities with peasant cultivation. Finally, 340 questionnaires were randomly distributed among the rural households by using Cochran's formula and the exploratory factor analysis was used for analysis. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the entire research questionnaire was obtained to be 873., which confirmed its overall reliability. The results of factor analysis showed that the 5 economic, managerial, infrastructure-environmental, social and local community factors were finally able to explain 66% of the variance of the rural farmers’ challenges. In the above-mentioned factors, farmers’ low incomes from cultivation (773.), lack of timely and appropriate government support of the farmers (715.), destruction and change of using orchards and agricultural lands (746.), the farmers’ lack of self-confidence and skills (695.), and low quality and dispersion of agricultural lands (609.) were the most important and influential challenges for the agricultural operators, respectively. Based on the results, it could be said that most of the challenges and rural problems in Zanjan Province could be solved with principled management and purposeful and practical planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

These two main objectives of this study are to present a theoretical model to explain how business intelligence capabilities influence the company's supply chain sustainability and to examine the relationships among different BI and CSCS dimensions. This study was conducted with the use of a standard BI questionnaire along with the United Nations CSCS questionnaire among 234 Iranian pharmaceutical companies, from which 188 were also surveyed. Smart pls3 and partial least squares methods were used for validity as well as reliability evaluation of the measurement model. According to the findings, BI significantly affects the sustainability of the pharmaceutical supply chain and some of its dimensions, including vision, scope, and internal aspects, thereby the hypothesis indicating the effect of BI on these dimensions was accepted. However, there was an insignificantly positive relationship between BI and the other dimensions of CSCS, including expectation, engagement, and goals; hence, the hypothesis indicating the effect of BI on these dimensions was rejected. If the policy of the board is to implement supply chain sustainability, BI can have a greater impact on the company. Otherwise, BI may be implemented with not much effect though it can be indirectly beneficial to these companies. No studies have been performed on direct examination of the relationship of BI and CSCS and their various dimensions with the use of an extensive survey among Iran's pharmaceutical companies. Also, this study reveals some facts about the sustainability of the pharmaceutical supply chain, BI, and relevant issues as significant obstacles against a sustainable supply chain and BI. This article also supports the UN questionnaire on supply chain sustainability and adopts it in the surveys. Furthermore, various social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram were compared, and it was concluded that the data required for the pharmaceutical industry was more accessible from Twitter, in comparison to the other social networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integration between different components of the food system would foster achieving food and nutrition security as a key pillar of sustainable development. Significant improvement has been made in the field of food and nutrition security as well as in institutionalizing integration in food and agriculture, nutrition and health policymaking to achieve sustainable development in the Iranian context, however, the sectors are still operating somewhat in isolation from one another while this is in sharp contrast with the integrative nature of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The aim of this study was to draw a comprehensive picture of the journey from coordination to integration and in institutionalizing food and nutrition security and its policymaking within the framework of national development in Iran. In this study, 43 multi-lateral upstream documents in food and agriculture, nutrition and health sectors were analyzed using a deductive document analysis method. Three series of data coding were performed, including (a) exploring the direct and indirect components of agriculture, food, nutrition and health systems, (b) exploring the policy integration based on processual policy integration framework and (c) Exploring the alignment state of policy components with the SDGs. Our study showed that despite implementing several multi-lateral interventions, and in some cases integrated policies, food and nutrition insecurity are still critical concerns. The study affirms that although remarkable improvements in food and nutrition policy-making and institutional capacity development have been realized, the country's journey from the "nutrition sciences" to "food and nutrition policy" has not ended yet and integration in food and nutrition policymaking is yet to be achieved in the country. To effectively address the issue, multi-sectoral representation in joint work should be transformed into inter-sectoral integration based on interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral research at policy and integrated operational agenda for all sectors involved. In this process, participation of civil society, women, the private sector and the industry should be well recognized and encouraged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyses the expansion of solar energy in Iran, considering political, economic, social, and technological factors. Due to the prolonged sanctions on Iran, the development of clean energy power plants has been either halted or significantly reduced. Hence, this study aims to identify barriers to the expansion of solar energy power plants and simulate solar power plants using PVsyst (Photovoltaic system) software. The study is unique in its approach of combining technical analysis with social sciences to facilitate the implementation of solar energy expansion in remote areas. This study focuses on two specific areas with high solar radiation, namely Darab and Meybod, which are located in Fars and Yazd provinces, respectively. Solar energy can be generated in these two areas due to their unique location with high levels of solar irritation. To achieve this goal, the technical analyses focuson simulating the performance of a 9 kWp (kilowatt 'peak' power output of a system) grid-connected polysilicon(poly-Si) photovoltaic plant for Darab and a 9.90 kWp plant for Meybod. The simulation is carried out to obtain maximum electricity production and evaluate parameters such as incident radiation, performance ratio, energy into the grid, energy output at the array, and losses. The produced energy for Darab was 20.40 MWh/year, with specific production of 2061 kWh/kWp/year, and the performance ratio (PR) was 81.26%. For Meybod, production was 20.70 MWh/year, with specific production of 2091 kWh/kWp/year, and the performance ratio (PR) was 80.88%. Through the PEST analysis, it is evident that strategic planning and appropriate actions are crucial at the provincial, national, and local levels for energy systems' development. This indicates that both governments and citizens should play an active role in supporting the expansion of energy systems by planning and creating awareness among the public to embrace and adopt energy systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For reducing fossil fuel demand and its environmental damages in Iran, the UN suggests removal of fossil fuel subsidies in this developing country which has the largest amount of energy subsidies in the world within 2010s. This research investigates the effectiveness of subsidy removal as a price policy in reducing the consumption of diesel which has the highest share in the total fossil fuel demand portfolio. The novelty of this research is that it compares the effects of price policy and energy efficiency on reducing diesel demand and improving sustainability to reveal which one is a more effective policy. To this aim, our study employs dynamic model, static model and error-correction model for estimating the diesel demand elasticities during 1976–2017. The results show that the diesel demand responds to changes in energy efficiency substantially, while it responds to changes in price slightly. Based on our findings, energy efficiency is about 30 times more effective than the price policy on reduction of diesel demand and improvement of the sustainable development pillars including economy, environment and social (health). A 10% improvement in energy efficiency at the first year of the studied period could reduce more than 87 billion liters of diesel consumption, 3 billion tons of CO2 emissions and 65 thousand deaths from the air pollution during the period. Therefore, the strategists should improve the technology especially the efficiency of energy-consuming utilities like cars, rather than increasing the price and removal of subsidy, to reduce diesel demand and improve sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable energy strategies have been a critical subject for sustainable development, especially in cities. Citizens, as an integral part of the urban environment, play a significant role in urban spaces, as does their health. An accurate understanding of citizens' mental, social, and physical health in urban settings is required to design and plan better cities. This study aims to assess the level of alignment with health factors in Mahabad, a major medium-sized city in Iran. Previous studies indicate that the built environment can influence health dimensions. Health factors depend to a great extent on how well the environment is formed and how it is put together. This research is a descriptive, analytical, cross-sectional study that analyzes the environment's psychological elements and physical and mental health factors of Mahabad's citizens. According to the Cochran model, 384 questionnaires were distributed among households. For data analysis, SPSS 12 and Arc GIS software were used. The main results of this research show that five factors, "Environmental quality", "Identity and social relationships", and "Readability", have the most impact on the physical and mental health of citizens (respondents). These issues are much more pronounced in the downtown neighborhoods. This study showed that urban experts can understand different levels of public health by knowing the historical, social, cultural, and economic factors and characteristics. The result will help decision makers, city authorities, designers, and urban planners to be more informed about citizens' health and the ways to improve it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing construction and demolition (C&D) waste generation has faced serious challenges in the metropolitan areas of Iran. The objective of this research is to present a system dynamics model for C&D waste management of Tehran. In particular, variables such as energy consumption and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions for the city of Tehran to the horizon of 2041 are studied and predicted. Increasing the rate of construction of housing and urban infrastructure will increase C&D waste and, on the other hand, increase the demand for raw materials, which is contrary to the principles of sustainable development. The increase in quarries exploitation and the increase in C&D waste generation can reduce the buildable area of the city. The impacts of such factors are in a cyclic and systemic approach that either reinforces a destructive factor or balances the existing solution. In general, the assessment of the implementation or nonimplementation of C&D waste recycling in each city requires a system insight that examines the aspects of the subject with a systemic perspective over time. To this end, the system dynamic approach, along with the environmental and economic approach of the life cycle, can clarify the hidden dimensions of the problem. One of the important limitations of the research is the large number of variables in the model and finding reliable historical information for these variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the pros and cons of the energy transition process as a part of environmental sustainability's policy in Iran. To analyse the strategic transition towards clean energy in Iran and extract practical policies and operational solutions, the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) technique was applied. Based on the findings, Iran's most significant strengths towards greening economy are low operational cost of clean energy and academic experts' involvement in localisation and environmental protection. Non-renewable energy trade, high initial costs, and Iran's economic and foreign policy instability are the major weaknesses. Moreover, the opportunities include diversifying the economy to increase income and reduce dependence on oil. Finally, a lack of institutional capacity and coordination with related industries were the biggest threats. Based on the internal and external matrix, Iran's energy transition process towards clean (renewable) energies is strategically in ST (Strengths and Threats) situation. It means, this transition in Iran has strengths (i.e. low cost of clean energy) as well as threats (i.e. increased competition in the global energy market) due to the internal and external factors, which can take advantage of existing strengths and predict future threats to reduce the effect of threats on the movement towards clean energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A precise map of the dispersion of the groundwater potential across each watershed can help decision-makers to exert optimal water management in each region. In this research, the potential of groundwater resources in both the Zanjanrood Catchment and the Tarom Region, located in the northwest of Iran, has been studied. Seven effective criteria including slope, land-use, drainage density, spring density, lithology, lineament density, and rainfall are considered. Criteria were first weighted using the Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) method and then overlaid by the Technique for Order Preferences by Similarity to Ideal (TOPSIS) model. Finally, the spatial zoning map of groundwater potential was obtained in four categories. A sensitivity analysis was performed to determine the influence of each criterion on the obtained map. The model was verified using both the spatial distribution of the high-discharged production wells and the geophysical-based geoelectric field surveys. The results indicate that the high-discharged wells (>40 l/s) in both regions are dispersed predominantly in the very good zone and, in several cases, in the good zone. Besides, the results from the two-dimensional models of resistivity and induced polarization of geoelectrical field survey are inappropriate agreement with those from the TOPSIS method. Notably, there is no suitable potential zone of groundwater in the surrounding highlands to be used in the future for drinking purposes since the highlands water supply is a strategic supply for drinking. The strategies employed in this study, the results of GIS modeling, and the geoelectrical analysis can be considered for sustainable development of similar arid and semi-arid areas since groundwater is considered as the main supplier of water in such regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agritourism is one of the strategies that has been proposed in recent decades for the sustainable development of rural areas and the diversification of the rural economy. The purpose of this study was to investigate the sustainability of Charqoli village in Iran by examining and identifying the role of agritourism in entrepreneurship and paying attention to the role of conservation, cultural, social, and vernacular values of this type of tourism. Therefore, using a qualitative research method, that of grounded theory, different dimensions of agritourism for sustainable rural development in line with research objectives were investigated. The results showed that agritourism is related to six general dimensions: socio-cultural, economic, agricultural, environmental, physical and planning, which results in two perspectives: first, the entrepreneurial role of agritourism as a new strategy in rural development, and second, agritourism with a protectionist perspective with an "environment-oriented preservation" view. Based on the achieved findings, it was shown that agritourism emphasizes on the preserving vernacular architecture of the village in order to conserve the environmental values of the region, which is one of the goals of sustainable development, and finally, a model was proposed for the sustainable development of agritourism, which declares that "educating local individuals" should be the first priority in rural developmental planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of sustainability has long characterized the rural architecture of Iran. However, today, social and economic changes have brought about developments in rural architecture, as modern villages have focused less on the concept of sustainability. Old rural architecture has valuable sustainability indicators which can be utilized in new designs. This research investigates the component affecting sustainability creation and its representation in the architecture of Armian village. This research was applied in terms of goal and descriptiveanalytical in terms of methods. First, library sources were reviewed to determine the effective components. Then, a theoretical framework was presented after the content analysis, as the village of Armian was examined following field studies and analytical methods. Results indicated that social, cultural, economic and environmental dimensions contributed to rural architecture sustainability. As regards the social sustainability dimension, such components as social identity, sense of attachment, social interactions, vitality and social security; as regards cultural sustainability dimension, such components as participation and solidarity, cultural heritage and capital, value and cultural value; as regards economic sustainability dimension, such components as the type of material, effectiveness and avoiding nullity, employment and subsistence; and as regards environmental sustainability dimension, such components as an adaptation with the climatic conditions, dynamism and adaptability, respect and preservation of the environment were effective. These components and indicators have been noted in the Armian village fabric and housing. The Armian village architecture is an example of local, sustainable architecture in conformity with the rural life's identity, climate, culture and lifestyle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the growing universal demand for sustainable development in recent years, ecotourism has become one of the top effectual actions that can be employed to reconcile environmental conservation with economic growth. Therefore, sustainable development can be supported by assessing ecotourism ecosystem services at the landscape scale. In this regard, we presented a new technique that considers a potential model of ecotourism along with a landscape resilience measurement to identify the priority areas for sustainable ecotourism development. For this purpose, a multi-criteria fuzzy model with a geographic information system (GIS) and analytical hierarchy process (AHP) was first used to evaluate potential zones for ecotourism. The landscape ecological risk index (ERI) was then applied to measure the landscape resilience. The usefulness of our novel technique was then tested in a case study in the Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province (Ch & B), situated in the central part of the Zagros Mountain Chains, Iran. The area has a coarse terrain with climate that varies considerably, which results in high potential for ecotourism development. The results indicated that about half of the provincial area had high potential for developing ecotourism and attracting tourists. However, when considering the landscape resilience, approximately 33% of the study area near the western and central regions had both high potential for ecotourism and the high values of landscape resilience, making these locations suitable for sustainable ecotourism development. Overall, the present study demonstrated that utilizing the integrated models and the ecotourism potential model, together with the landscape resilience assessment, might provide a powerful tool for ecotourism prioritization for the purpose of sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Nowadays, the reuse of built agricultural/industrial heritage has been a common practice worldwide. These structures represent excellent symbols of the great agricultural/industrial past. These agricultural/hydro-technologies also serve as monuments of socio-cultural identities, especially in rural areas and on small farms. One example of a successful application of agricultural technologies for small farms is the water mill. By harnessing the water energy, they were used for traditional flour and other goods production (e.g., olive oil) and works requiring energy, with the main role in the evolution of the traditional/cultural landscape. Water mills have been used to drive a mechanical process of milling, hammering, and rolling and are a portion of the agricultural, cultural, and industrial heritage. For approximately two millennia, the vertical mill water wheel prepared the initial source of mechanical power in many regions of the world. Water mills were the first device that converted natural resources of energy into mechanical energy in order to operate some form of machinery. The preservation/management of water mills is challenging due to their long-term abandonment and the lack of information/knowledge about their value. The other obstacles that are faced in their retrofitting and/or preservation are the lack of sufficient economic incentives and complex authorizations/legislations. Sustainability and regeneration of water mills through the centuries are then reviewed for history and agricultural/industrial "archaeology". The history of water-powered mills in prehistoric and historic times, including ancient Persia/Iran, ancient China, ancient India, the Islamic world, Venetian Crete, medieval Europe, America, and finally present times, is discussed. The outcome of this review allows the understanding of the importance of conservation, optimization, and development of water mills. It will help to know more and achieve sustainable/regenerative development for small farms with respect to water and energy crises at present and in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determining and implementing development programs, due to the weakness and inefficiency of systematic communication between different sectors of agricultural and livestock production with the capacity of natural resources (water and rangelands), processing industries, financial institutions, and distribution of inputs and livestock products in the country needs special focus and attention in order to identify the capacities, potentials, and interactions affecting the livestock industry. A systematic relationship between different sectors of production and supply in other countries has been established by using the connection of production flows, exports, and import terminals with the cooperation of powerful private sectors. The systematic localization of communication is essential for improving and creating sustainable development in the livestock industry of the province. Introduction Following the United Nations' declaration of decades of development in the early 1960s, the issue of development in developing countries has been at the forefront of the agenda of UN agencies and international development institutions. The concept of sustainable development reflects the undeniable fact that ecological considerations can and should be applied to economic activities. These considerations include the idea of creating a rational environment in which the claim of development to advance the quality of all aspects of life is challenged. Initially, several definitions of development were proposed to mean the improvement of social life. Thus, one of the major development challenges of the 1970s was tackling malnutrition and global hunger. There has not been much study in Iran regarding the structural and institutional factors affecting the sustainable development of the livestock industry. The situation is the same abroad. The studies have been mostly on the factors affecting the sustainable development of other sectors such as tourism, sustainable rural development, and so on. To fill the gap, this study aims to explain the sustainability of the Isfahan livestock industry. The general aim of the present study is to design appropriate and scientific planning for the improvement and development of livestock production in order to increase the productivity of livestock production and related industries in line with the optimal use of existing potentials and capabilities. Materials and Methods This research is survey research and questionnaires were designed to achieve the research objectives appropriate to the statistical population of the project. In addition, observational interview methods were used to obtain more information. To analyze the data and information, various methods of descriptive and inferential statistical analyses and network analysis of stakeholders using SPSS / PC+ software have been used. Results and Discussion Developing a sustainable development plan for the Isfahan livestock industry is a key step toward achieving the goals of livestock sub-sector development. This program with a comprehensive view and a special view of animal husbandry in the province with the headline of general land management policies, while emphasizing the growth of competitive production based on knowledge and productivity in the framework of a resilient economy and constructive interaction with the world, has been developed as the first sustainable development program. The results of the study indicated appropriate and scientific planning to improve and develop livestock production in order to increase the productivity of livestock, poultry, other poultry and bees based on existing upstream documents, macroeconomic policies of the country, and a comprehensive view of the requirements of sustainable development programs in the livestock industry Provinces. It can be concluded that the capacity of users to successfully adapt to various conditions, including financial resources, participatory networks, knowledge and information, infrastructure and technology, is currently weak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]