Application of the Flood Crisis Management Framework in the Alborz Province with Emphasis on Identification, Classification, and Prioritization of Solutions

Document Type : Research

Authors

1 Ph.D. Student of Agricultural Development, Department of Agricultural Extension, Communication and Rural Development, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran

2 Associate Professor of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

3 Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural Extension, Communication and Rural Development, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran

4 Associate Professor, Soil Conservation and Watershed Management Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran

5 Ph.D. Climatology in Environmental Planning, Secretary of the Research Committee of Alborz Regional Water Company

10.22092/wmrj.2025.367812.1605

Abstract

Introduction and Goal
The phenomenon of Flooding has always been a major threat to most people in the world. Today, the occurrence of this phenomenon has increased significantly worldwide. On the other hand, climate change has led to an increase in the number, intensity, and magnitude of such events. The damages caused by flooding are often irreparable and unpredictable. Asian countries, such as those in the Middle East, are high-risk areas that are exposed to relatively high levels of flooding and earthquakes and the damage they cause. In the past decade, Iran has faced unfortunate flood. Alborz Province is one of the provinces of Iran that has suffered significant damage from flooding. As a result of the floods in the past decade in this province, at least 12 people have died, hundreds have been injured, and 4,076,333 million rials of financial damage has been caused due to floods. The increase in flood statistics and the damages caused by them necessitate the identification of effective flood management solutions. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to apply the flood crisis management framework in Alborz province with an emphasis on identifying, classifying, and prioritizing solutions.
Materials and Methods
The method used in this research, from a strategic perspective, was a descriptive-exploratory methodology, and the nature and approach of this research was a combined quantitative-qualitative approach. In the qualitative approach, data were collected through interviews and the formation of a panel of experts, and in the quantitative approach, data were collected through a questionnaire prepared by the researcher. The responses obtained from the interview with open-ended questions were first analyzed using thematic analysis and using NVIVO12 software. In this regard, related concepts, categories, and themes were extracted and categorized in the coding process. Then, using the obtained components, a quantitative researcher-made questionnaire was designed and completed again by the research sample. To determine the importance of each component, the Friedman test was performed using SPSS24 software. Also the ranking and determination of the importance and priority of flood crisis management components in Alborz Province were performed.
Results and Discussion
Based on the findings, the mean age of the research sample was 50.2 years and all of them were married. Also, the average work experience of these individuals was 21.7 years and the majority of them (55.1%) had a Ph.D. degree. In terms of field of study, watershed management was the most frequent among the specialized fields of the research sample with a frequency of 22.5%. The findings of this study indicated that in flood crisis management, the most important ranking in the Friedman test in the risk reduction step was the strategy for developing watershed and aquifer management structures with an average rank of 31.57; in the preparedness step, the strategy for integrating and coordinating organizations related to flood crisis management with an average rank of 7.68; in the response step, the strategy for rapidly deploying relief and security forces during a flood crisis with an average rank of 2.96; and in the recovery step, the strategy for organizing and correcting the course of rivers with an average rank of 6.43.
Conclusion and Suggestions
The findings of this research showed that to achieve successful flood crisis management at the provincial level in Alborz, and to facilitate the establishment of integrated and comprehensive governance with the involvement of various stakeholders in decision-making, it is necessary to create or improve the organizational structure along with strong coordination among different stakeholders within a powerful single organization or among several influential organizations. In this regard, the role of organizations such as the Ministry of Energy and the National Natural Resources and Watershed Management Organization at the national level, as well as regional water companies, the General Directorate of Natural Resources and Watershed Management, research institutes, and universities at the provincial level, is important. Therefore, coordination meetings and dialogue among them, along with the participation of other important stakeholders (local communities), will lead to the strengthening of adaptive and resilient management and decision-making. Based on the results of this research, it was determined that to improve the crisis management process, participatory governance, the involvement of all stakeholders in policymaking, and the establishment of local committees for consultation and decision-making are essential. These committees should focus on formulating long-term and sustainable solutions for various temporal and spatial scales, and ultimately, it is necessary to change the attitude towards implementing management actions (non-structural) alongside structural (technical-engineering) measures.

Keywords

Main Subjects

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  • Receive Date: 25 November 2024
  • Revise Date: 25 December 2024
  • Accept Date: 18 March 2025

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