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This research paper investigates the general understanding and skills of young third-year environmental engineering students concerning the criteria for monitoring wetlands. Students were asked to describe approaches, data, and final solutions to identify and/or eliminate wetland odor. Over half of the students (55%) did not consider the “identification” strategy by which to determine the source of unexpected odors. The rest gave answers focused on “restoration” (24%) and “prevention” (15%) strategies, while 6% of the answers were unrelated. In fact, without knowing the causes and without thinking about the necessity/importance of visiting/surveying the site, students came up with a priori solutions. In their mind, the immediate cause of the odor could be a disturbed or unbalanced distribution/composition of ions, salts, or microbes in the water. Indeed, most data types (71%) were those related to “water”. As the final solution, 50% of responses considered “physical” followed by “legal and planning” solutions (32%). Each factor, including “Chemical” and “Biological”, constituted 9% of the answers. This research highlights engineering students’ communication skills, critical thinking and problem-solving abilities by contemplating class activities that simulate real-world situations. The research presumes that these engineering student cohorts represent typical student communities worldwide. Such findings contribute to policymaking in the engineering education system on a larger scale.
Farshad Amiraslani. Sustainability of Wetlands in the Eyes of the New Generation of Environmental Engineering Students. Conservation 2021, 1, 182 -195.
AMA StyleFarshad Amiraslani. Sustainability of Wetlands in the Eyes of the New Generation of Environmental Engineering Students. Conservation. 2021; 1 (3):182-195.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFarshad Amiraslani. 2021. "Sustainability of Wetlands in the Eyes of the New Generation of Environmental Engineering Students." Conservation 1, no. 3: 182-195.
Despite the paramount role of drylands in supporting people’s livelihoods and rendering ecosystem services, legislation on Environmental Impact Assessment has been introduced belatedly after several decades. By exemplifying Iran, the author proposes two main reasons for such a delayed action. First, drylands are misleadingly considered as barren lands where biodiversity is relatively low. In one classification, deserts are even categorized along with rocks. Second, the author emphasizes that drylands have been subjected to unprecedented changes due to the expansion of infrastructure and urbanization that started in the 1970s. These growing pressures have been beyond the ecological resilience of drylands and have not been monitored, assessed, and modified correctly. Further scrutiny regarding EIA undertakings in drylands and the way they can be improved is now needed.
Farshad Amiraslani. ‘Environmental Impact Assessment’ in Drylands: Late Knowledge Penetration or a Deliberate Ignorance for Megaprojects? World 2021, 2, 374 -378.
AMA StyleFarshad Amiraslani. ‘Environmental Impact Assessment’ in Drylands: Late Knowledge Penetration or a Deliberate Ignorance for Megaprojects? World. 2021; 2 (3):374-378.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFarshad Amiraslani. 2021. "‘Environmental Impact Assessment’ in Drylands: Late Knowledge Penetration or a Deliberate Ignorance for Megaprojects?" World 2, no. 3: 374-378.
The recent COVID-19 pandemic has revealed flaws in rural settings where most people live without the necessary tools, income, and knowledge to tackle such unprecedented global challenges. Here, I argue that despite the research studies conducted on rural areas, these have not solved rising rural issues, notably poverty and illiteracy. I propound a global institute to be formed by governments that provides a platform for empowering rural communities through better training, skills, and competencies. Such global endeavour will ensure the remaining rural communities withstand future pandemics if they occur.
Farshad Amiraslani. Tackling Rural Health, Energy, … and Technological Issues All at Once: A Call for a Global Interdisciplinary Platform for Strengthening Rural Setting Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic. Challenges 2021, 12, 16 .
AMA StyleFarshad Amiraslani. Tackling Rural Health, Energy, … and Technological Issues All at Once: A Call for a Global Interdisciplinary Platform for Strengthening Rural Setting Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic. Challenges. 2021; 12 (2):16.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFarshad Amiraslani. 2021. "Tackling Rural Health, Energy, … and Technological Issues All at Once: A Call for a Global Interdisciplinary Platform for Strengthening Rural Setting Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic." Challenges 12, no. 2: 16.
Human response to wildlife management is widespread, encompassing both human–wildlife conflicts and wildlife conservation, in different places and at different times. As people become increasingly aware of the importance of wildlife to biological and environmental sustainability, newspapers can be important sources of information, especially in developing countries, such as Iran. Three major Iranian daily newspapers were analysed for news items related to wildlife. Over the 7-year study period, 434 articles presented environmental news, of which 61 items referred to wildlife. Each wildlife item was recorded in terms of message, contributor, spatiality, and allocated space. Structure query language (SQL) was used to analyse relationships between the 915 fields/entries. Wildlife items were characterised by public awareness (51%), columnist contributions (46%), and local spatiality (43%). Most items (82%) were allocated space of less than half a page. Of the categorised topics, those of combined endangered land (30%) and marine (5%) species exceeded items on global conservation (24%). Results highlighted the minimal number and small space devoted to wildlife news items and their concentrations (67%) in one of the three sampled newspapers. Although nature has historically been important in Iranian culture, current attitudes to wildlife, as reflected in newspaper coverage, do not seem to mirror these traditional perspectives. Given the widespread distribution of newspapers and their roles (i.e., as sources of information and opinion influencers), global wildlife conservation issues would benefit from much greater coverage in the daily press.
Farshad Amiraslani; Deirdre Dragovich. Wildlife and Newspaper Reporting in Iran: A Data Analysis Approach. Animals 2021, 11, 1487 .
AMA StyleFarshad Amiraslani, Deirdre Dragovich. Wildlife and Newspaper Reporting in Iran: A Data Analysis Approach. Animals. 2021; 11 (6):1487.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFarshad Amiraslani; Deirdre Dragovich. 2021. "Wildlife and Newspaper Reporting in Iran: A Data Analysis Approach." Animals 11, no. 6: 1487.
Water is a valuable resource for which demand often exceeds supply in dry climates. Managing limited water resources becomes increasingly difficult in circumstances of recurring drought, rising populations, rapid urbanisation, industrial development, and financial constraints, such as occur in Iran. Newspapers both report on and influence people’s understanding of water-related issues. An analysis was undertaken of two major Iranian daily newspapers over a 7-year period. Structure Query Language (SQL) was employed to identify relationships among a total of 1275 records/fields which were extracted from 84 water-related news items. They were analysed for message, contributor, spatiality and allocated space. Of the water-related items, wetlands comprised 33% (class), public awareness 54% (message), local level 56% (spatiality), and authorities 53% (contributor). Space allocation on each page was mostly <40% (94% of items). Four examples were highlighted of ambitious engineering projects adopted in response to water distribution issues. It is concluded that the general lack of educating messages about water use efficiency in rural areas and water consumption in cities does not assist in developing positive water-saving local behaviours. Newspapers could be a useful tool in a broader strategy for addressing and managing the demand side of the water crisis in Iran.
Farshad Amiraslani; Deirdre Dragovich. Portraying the Water Crisis in Iranian Newspapers: An Approach Using Structure Query Language (SQL). Water 2021, 13, 838 .
AMA StyleFarshad Amiraslani, Deirdre Dragovich. Portraying the Water Crisis in Iranian Newspapers: An Approach Using Structure Query Language (SQL). Water. 2021; 13 (6):838.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFarshad Amiraslani; Deirdre Dragovich. 2021. "Portraying the Water Crisis in Iranian Newspapers: An Approach Using Structure Query Language (SQL)." Water 13, no. 6: 838.
The main problem using meteorological drought indices include inappropriate distribution of meteorological stations. Satellite data have reliable spatial and temporal resolution and provide valuable information used in many different applications. The Standardized precipitation index has several advantages. The SPI is based on rainfall data alone and has a variable time scale and is thus conducive to describing drought conditions for different application.This study aims to calculate SPI using satellite precipitation data and compare the results with traditional methods. To do this, satellite-based precipitation data were assessed against station data and then the standardized precipitation index was calculated. The results have indicated that satellite-based SPI could illustrate drought spatial characteristic more accurate than station-based index. Also, the standardized property of the SPI index allows comparisons between different locations, which is one of the remote sensing drought indices limitations.
M. Behifar; A. A. Kakroodi; M. Kiavarz; F. Amiraslani. COMBINATION OF METEOROLOGICAL INDICES AND SATELLITE DATA FOR DROUGHT MONITORING IN TWO DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS IN IRAN. The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences 2019, XLII-4/W18, 197 -200.
AMA StyleM. Behifar, A. A. Kakroodi, M. Kiavarz, F. Amiraslani. COMBINATION OF METEOROLOGICAL INDICES AND SATELLITE DATA FOR DROUGHT MONITORING IN TWO DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS IN IRAN. The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences. 2019; XLII-4/W18 ():197-200.
Chicago/Turabian StyleM. Behifar; A. A. Kakroodi; M. Kiavarz; F. Amiraslani. 2019. "COMBINATION OF METEOROLOGICAL INDICES AND SATELLITE DATA FOR DROUGHT MONITORING IN TWO DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS IN IRAN." The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences XLII-4/W18, no. : 197-200.
Iran is one of the countries with the highest number of the cases of capital relocation throughout its history. During the past four centuries, at least, six different cities have played the role of the capital for the country. This paper examines the most recent push for the capital relocation in Iran. By examining the public debate over the topic in the major periodicals of the country, the paper analyzes the underlying discourse that gives political impetus for the capital relocation. It shows that while the majority of the academics opposes such a move, politicians eagerly pursue such a massive project. More importantly the analysis suggests that in the twenty-first century, an old-established discourse on the role of the capital still plays a significant role in forming the public debate and political decisions on the capital relocation in Iran. Based on this discourse, the political system observes the capital relocation as a vital way for encouraging decentralization and decreasing the population of Tehran. The paper suggests that the underlying discourse for the capital relocation in Iran is in bold contrast to the common themes of capital relocation in other countries, particularly newly formed nations.
Ashkan Rezvani-Naraghi; Farshad Amiraslani. A medieval discourse and a modern city: the politics of capital relocation in Iran. GeoJournal 2019, 85, 1663 -1675.
AMA StyleAshkan Rezvani-Naraghi, Farshad Amiraslani. A medieval discourse and a modern city: the politics of capital relocation in Iran. GeoJournal. 2019; 85 (6):1663-1675.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAshkan Rezvani-Naraghi; Farshad Amiraslani. 2019. "A medieval discourse and a modern city: the politics of capital relocation in Iran." GeoJournal 85, no. 6: 1663-1675.
The Pars Special Economic Energy Zone (PSEEZ) is the largest global special economic zone in the field of oil, gas, and petrochemical industry. The Nayband national marine park is located in the PSEEZ and mangrove forests are spread throughout the estuaries (Bidkhun or Asaloyeh, Basatin and Haleh) of the park. Despite important goods and ecosystem services of mangroves and their high economic value, mangroves within the PSEEZ are threatened by activities of the oil industry. Thus, it is necessary to monitor and assess the mangroves and their ecosystem services. In this context, remote sensing technologies provide effective tools for spatio-temporal analysis of mangrove distribution. In this study, Landsat-5, 7, 8 images were used from 1986 to 2018. Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Sen's slope was employed for monitoring mangrove cover changes and estimating Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) trends. In assessing the economic value of the ecosystem services of the Mangrove forests, the mangrove distribution changes and global values of mangrove ecosystem services were integrated. The results revealed that the coverage of mangroves had increased to about nearly 204.93 ha in area from 1986 to 2003, followed by a drop to 169.29 ha in 2018. The economic value of mangrove forests of the PSEEZ in 1986, 1998, 2003, 2015 and 2018 was estimated to be about 3.3, 3.8, 6.7, 6.5 and 5.5 million US dollars per year, respectively. Based on Sen's slope, the NDVI trend in Basatin estuary decreased at a rate of −0.001, but showed significant increases of about 0.008 and 0.006 for the Bidkhun and the Haleh estuaries, respectively. Despite the suitable distribution and an economic value of $1.9 million in 1986, conditions of the Basatin estuary seem to have diminished from 1986 to 2018 (economic value of $0.71 million in 2018). The Bidkhun estuary, which showed a positive trend in distribution changes, has also been downgrading since 2015 to about 30.43 ha in size, and an economic value of $1 million. Since 1998, the mangroves of Haleh estuary have been improving distribution-wise, with further elevations in economic value ($ 0.26 million in 2018).
Qadir Ashournejad; Farshad Amiraslani; Majid Kiavarz Moghadam; Ara Toomanian. Assessing the changes of mangrove ecosystem services value in the Pars Special Economic Energy Zone. Ocean & Coastal Management 2019, 179, 104838 .
AMA StyleQadir Ashournejad, Farshad Amiraslani, Majid Kiavarz Moghadam, Ara Toomanian. Assessing the changes of mangrove ecosystem services value in the Pars Special Economic Energy Zone. Ocean & Coastal Management. 2019; 179 ():104838.
Chicago/Turabian StyleQadir Ashournejad; Farshad Amiraslani; Majid Kiavarz Moghadam; Ara Toomanian. 2019. "Assessing the changes of mangrove ecosystem services value in the Pars Special Economic Energy Zone." Ocean & Coastal Management 179, no. : 104838.
Based on remotely sensed imagery and socioeconomic data, this research analyzes the reasons why farmers choose one crop over another in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon. This study mapped the area of the cultivated crop in 2017 with Sentinel-2 images. An accurate and new method was developed to extract the field boundaries from the evolution of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) profile throughout the season. We collected 386 GPS locations for fields that are used for crop cultivation, from which the NDVI profile was extracted. The 386 reference fields were separated into two groups: reference locations and test locations. The Euclidean distance (ED) was calculated between these two groups, and the classification was strongly correlated to the known crop type in the field (overall accuracy: 90%). Our study area cultivated wheat (32%), spring potatoes (25%), spring vegetables (27%), orchards (11%), vineyards (7%), and alfalfa (
Arnaud Caiserman; Dominique Dumas; Karine Bennafla; Ghaleb Faour; Farshad Amiraslani. Application of Remotely Sensed Imagery and Socioeconomic Surveys to Map Crop Choices in the Bekaa Valley (Lebanon). Agriculture 2019, 9, 57 .
AMA StyleArnaud Caiserman, Dominique Dumas, Karine Bennafla, Ghaleb Faour, Farshad Amiraslani. Application of Remotely Sensed Imagery and Socioeconomic Surveys to Map Crop Choices in the Bekaa Valley (Lebanon). Agriculture. 2019; 9 (3):57.
Chicago/Turabian StyleArnaud Caiserman; Dominique Dumas; Karine Bennafla; Ghaleb Faour; Farshad Amiraslani. 2019. "Application of Remotely Sensed Imagery and Socioeconomic Surveys to Map Crop Choices in the Bekaa Valley (Lebanon)." Agriculture 9, no. 3: 57.
Iran faces environmental challenges such as erosion and extreme events, namely droughts and floods. These phenomena have frequently affected the country over the past decades and temperature rise has led to a more challenging situation. Iran started to implement national and provincial policies in the 1950s to cope with these phenomena. To provide an overview of Iran’s efforts to tackle land degradation and climate change, this paper examined through literature since 2000 the stakeholders’ policies, their interventions and obstacles to the mitigation of these environmental challenges. Government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and international projects have been the primary actors. Erosion-sensitive soil plantation, drought-resistant seeds, and water-saving irrigation systems were the main interventions of these policies. However, the research stresses the lack of coordination between these stakeholders, and the absence of a comprehensive database that could enable climate change to be tackled better in the future.
Farshad Amiraslani; Arnaud Caiserman. Multi-Stakeholder and Multi-Level Interventions to Tackle Climate Change and Land Degradation: The Case of Iran. Sustainability 2018, 10, 2000 .
AMA StyleFarshad Amiraslani, Arnaud Caiserman. Multi-Stakeholder and Multi-Level Interventions to Tackle Climate Change and Land Degradation: The Case of Iran. Sustainability. 2018; 10 (6):2000.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFarshad Amiraslani; Arnaud Caiserman. 2018. "Multi-Stakeholder and Multi-Level Interventions to Tackle Climate Change and Land Degradation: The Case of Iran." Sustainability 10, no. 6: 2000.
As the first-ever report in Iran, this paper explores the styles, tones, subjects, and patterns of the coverage of environmental news published in two Iranian newspapers. Involving certain initiatives and advantages in analysing newspapers, our research used the Structural Query Language (SQL) database management system to retrieve and manage data. A series of articles that covered environmental issues were collected and, based on 15 criteria, a database including 440 records and 6600 entries was formed. The analysis showed that titles and headlines of environmental issue articles were consistent with the contents and with the aims of news or events. However, environmental news was relegated to a small number of columns or spaces. The lowest number of news articles was related to education (9%) whereas the highest number was related to public awareness (56%). Regarding authorship, researchers had the lowest share at 10%, whereas officials and columnists contributed equally (45%) in writing environmental news. The highest (46%) and lowest (6%) proportions of environmental news were related to local and provincial news, respectively. We also revealed that Iranian environmental news is narrative and conservative with high reliance on non-scientific documents, interviews, and commentaries.
Farshad Amiraslani; Arnaud Caiserman. From air pollution to airing pollution news: multi-layer analysis of the representation of environmental news in Iranian newspapers. The Journal of International Communication 2018, 24, 262 -282.
AMA StyleFarshad Amiraslani, Arnaud Caiserman. From air pollution to airing pollution news: multi-layer analysis of the representation of environmental news in Iranian newspapers. The Journal of International Communication. 2018; 24 (2):262-282.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFarshad Amiraslani; Arnaud Caiserman. 2018. "From air pollution to airing pollution news: multi-layer analysis of the representation of environmental news in Iranian newspapers." The Journal of International Communication 24, no. 2: 262-282.
Sand and Dust storms are common phenomena in arid and semi-arid areas. West Asia Region, especially Tigris-Euphrates alluvial plain, has been recognized as one of the most important dust source areas in the world. In this paper, a method is applied to extract SDS (Sand and Dust Storms) sources in West Asia region using thematic maps, climate and geography, HYSPLIT model and satellite images. Out of 50 dust storms happened during 2000-2013 and collected in form of MODIS images, 27 events were incorporated as demonstrations of the simulated trajectories by HYSPLIT model. Besides, a dataset of the newly released Landsat images was used as base-map for the interpretation of SDS source regions. As a result, six main clusters were recognized as dust source areas. Of which, 3 clusters situated in Tigris-Euphrates plain were identified as severe SDS sources (including 70% dust storms in this research). Another cluster in Sistan plain is also a potential source area. This approach also confirmed six main paths causing dust storms. These paths are driven by the climate system including Siberian and Polar anticyclones, monsoon from Indian Subcontinent and depression from north of Africa. The identification of SDS source areas and paths will improve our understandings on the mechanisms and impacts of dust storms on socio-economy and environment of the region.
Hui Cao; Farshad Amiraslani; Jian Liu; Na Zhou. Identification of dust storm source areas in West Asia using multiple environmental datasets. Science of The Total Environment 2015, 502, 224 -235.
AMA StyleHui Cao, Farshad Amiraslani, Jian Liu, Na Zhou. Identification of dust storm source areas in West Asia using multiple environmental datasets. Science of The Total Environment. 2015; 502 ():224-235.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHui Cao; Farshad Amiraslani; Jian Liu; Na Zhou. 2015. "Identification of dust storm source areas in West Asia using multiple environmental datasets." Science of The Total Environment 502, no. : 224-235.
Deforestation is a problem in many developing countries. In Iran, the introduction of forestry management policies in the twentieth century coincided with a period of severe depletion in forest cover. This over‐utilization resulted from tree cutting for road construction, the establishment of sawmills and match factories, and in particular, the growing demand for charcoal and fuelwood for a rapidly increasing population. The formal forestry management policies initiated in the early 1900s were inadequately enforced, leading to continuing loss of forests through largely unregulated exploitation. Despite the discovery of oil in 1908 and natural gas in 1937, gas pipeline construction for domestic consumption was slow, kerosene was only gradually substituted for wood, charcoal consumption only fell steeply after 1960, and the established forest cover decreased sharply between 1970 and 1990. In 1991, the first of the post‐Revolution national Five Year Development Plans commenced and environmental protection was allocated significant budgetary support. The Five Year Plans implemented substantial reductions in livestock grazing in forests and encouraged reforestation, which partly offset the continuing forest removal. Using estimates based on fuelwood consumption in Brazil and USA, the forested area in Iran in 1850 would have disappeared by 2000 without the Government intervention which provided widespread access to fossil fuels. This energy‐source shift decreased local pressure on the dwindling forest resources and was reinforced by Government policies to conserve and extend forests.
Farshad Amiraslani; Deirdre Dragovich. Forest management policies and oil wealth in Iran over the last century: A review. Natural Resources Forum 2013, 37, 167 -176.
AMA StyleFarshad Amiraslani, Deirdre Dragovich. Forest management policies and oil wealth in Iran over the last century: A review. Natural Resources Forum. 2013; 37 (3):167-176.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFarshad Amiraslani; Deirdre Dragovich. 2013. "Forest management policies and oil wealth in Iran over the last century: A review." Natural Resources Forum 37, no. 3: 167-176.
Research on vegetation change, rangeland assessment or desertification modelling in drylands using remotely sensed image acquisition normally ignores long-term rainfall as a key criterion in image acquisition. This article will present a novel procedure for image acquisition to investigate vegetation change in a degraded rangeland located in Western New South Wales (Western NSW) Australia. Western NSW experienced an unusually prolonged period of rainfall deficit during the 2000s compared to the 1970, 1980 and 1990s. For this purpose, vegetation changes were assessed using Landsat images supported by field survey. The long-term rainfall variability (42-year) was regarded as a key element in image acquisition. Within the timeframe of the 2000s, 2 years with 25 % lower than the 42-year mean annual rainfall were selected. These images were then compared to an image captured in a year (1988) with rainfall closer to the 42-year mean annual rainfall. Two change detection techniques were used, namely univariate image differencing and GIS approaches. Classification of the produced images was pursued based on the digital numbers (supervised) of ground-checked points within the reference image whilst considering the histogram (unsupervised) of each digital number of the produced image. This research emphasized rainfall as a key variable in image acquisition for vegetation change analysis in rangelands. Image acquisition based on long-term rainfall data allowed for the assessment of changes in perennial plant cover by eliminating the effects of extreme rainfall variation on annual grass dynamics and removing extreme reflections caused by their temporary high photosynthetic activity.
Farshad Amiraslani; Deirdre Dragovich. Image acquisition for detection of vegetation change based on long-term rainfall in an arid rangeland in Western NSW, Australia. Environmental Earth Sciences 2012, 70, 83 -95.
AMA StyleFarshad Amiraslani, Deirdre Dragovich. Image acquisition for detection of vegetation change based on long-term rainfall in an arid rangeland in Western NSW, Australia. Environmental Earth Sciences. 2012; 70 (1):83-95.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFarshad Amiraslani; Deirdre Dragovich. 2012. "Image acquisition for detection of vegetation change based on long-term rainfall in an arid rangeland in Western NSW, Australia." Environmental Earth Sciences 70, no. 1: 83-95.