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Investigating the awareness of the local community towards the development of ecotourism is very important and necessary for future planning. Ecotourism in any region affects the lifestyle of local people and their economic-cultural conditions. On the other hand, ecotourists are also influenced by the culture of the host society and its values. Therefore, this study examines the local community's awareness of supporting ecotourism development in Damavand City. Due to the preservation of unique biological diversity, climatic conditions, and the frequent visits of tourists and ecotourists to this region, the local community needs to know about ecotourism, which made this research necessary. The target community of this study is the local community of residents of Damavand city. Therefore, using Cochran's formula, the sample size was estimated to be 384 people. The data was collected through a researcher-made questionnaire, which was used to determine its validity, in addition to seeking opinions from experts (face validity), convergent validity was used. To calculate its reliability, Cronbach's alpha method and composite reliability were used. The results of the inferential statistics that were conducted using confirmatory factor analysis (Smart PLS software) showed that the four components of the research (local community awareness, economic poverty, cultural poverty, and ecotourism development) have homogeneity and reliability, and the awareness of the local community It has a significant relationship on the development of ecotourism with the mediating role of cultural poverty with the test statistic value of 4.195 and economic poverty with the test statistic value of 5.397. The results showed that the awareness of the local community on the development of ecotourism with the test statistic value of 2.032 indicates the low level of awareness of the local community towards the development of ecotourism

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After the victory of the Islamic revolution, a new form of attitude towards science and technology was formed in Iran. This scientific discourse was directly influenced by the Islamic revolution and Islamic ideology and formulated new values and goals for the development of science and technology. After the revolution, since the statesmen considered science and technology as one of the key factors for the development and excellence of the society, they formed scientific policies and plans in order to realize the revolutionary and Islamic goals. This attitude towards science and technology in Iran during that period had a significant impact on the country's scientific and technological development. Considering the fact that the Islamic Republic of Iran has been at the helm of scientific leadership in the region after 1357, Iran and its role in the development of scientific power in post-revolution governments. In order to achieve this goal, the descriptive-analytical method and reliable statistics in domestic and foreign sources were used. The findings of the research showed that the type of discourse in different governments includes focusing on industrialization through the substitution of imports and capital resources (1360-1368), modernization and institutionalism and focusing on advanced technologies (1376-1368), focusing on technologies advanced, innovation and export development, and social justice mainly relying on knowledge industries (1384-1376), focusing on the transition of the industry towards knowledge-based innovation in the economy (1384-1392) and emphasizing the increase of international cooperation with an emphasis on identity and Rationality was in compilation and implementation (1392-1400). The results of the research show that in each period, according to the dominant discourse, measures such as the development of higher education and scientific research, the establishment of universities and research centers, and the creation of domestic and international scientific networks can be mentioned.
 

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The aim of this research is to evaluate the heat mitigation index (HMI) in the Tehran metropolitan area using the Urban Cooling Model(UCM)approach in a spatial framework. UCM produces maps of the Heat Mitigation Index. This index estimates the cooling potential of urban green spaces in a given location, taking into account various parameters such as evapotranspiration, tree shading, albedo, rural reference air temperature, urban heat island intensity, air temperature maximum blending, and maximum cooling distance. The assessment of environmental factors influencing the UCM in the study area revealed that the urban heat island effect was least intense in regions 1, 22, and the northern parts of region 4 of Tehran municipality, where there are scattered trees, shrubs, open low-rise buildings, and water bodies. The temperature differential between the city and the suburbs ranged from 0 to 1.3 degrees Celsius. However, the study area's central parts showed the highest intensity of the urban heat island, particularly in regions 21, 13, and 14. These regions have a dense and compact texture and an expansion of impervious surfaces, resulting in the lowest values of the evapotranspiration index and albedo.Based on these parameters, the study area's HMI index showed that the cooling capacity varies from 0.08 in the central parts of the city to 0.9 in areas affected by green spaces and water bodies. The maximum cooling capacity index is concentrated in areas with dense and scattered tree cover in the region. On average, these areas have been able to neutralise 2.48 degrees Celsius of the urban heat island effect with a cooling capacity of 63%. The methodology employed in this research can be used as a reference for urban designers in integrating urban cooling approaches and heat island mitigation strategies in urban planning and design.
 

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Iran's rural settlements, in spite of their comprehensive and multi-faceted developments in the last decades, are still considered to be among the settlements faced with crucial challenges in the face of environmental hazards. As a result, prearrangement for upcoming events and disasters, as well as paying attention to the management of rural disaster in dealing with particularly natural events turn out to be necessary. The rural areas of Sarwabad, in Kurdistan, are also considered among the areas susceptible to natural disasters, such as floods, earthquakes, and landslides. The purpose of the research is the identification of settlements, and safe and hazardous landslide zones with particular focus on disaster management in Sarwabad. This research is methodologically analytical and essentially functional, and, by using geographical information system (GIS) and the analytical hierarchical process (AHP), the researchers analyzed the data and the layers and provided the ultimate version of combined hazard maps and also overlaying maps for the purpose of factorial assessment. The findings have been in the form of spatio-populatory analysis of the settlements, and resulted in identifying the safe and unsafe villages and zones. Moreover, it is found that nearly 46 percent of the rural population and 31 villages of the area are located in safe or low-hazard-level landslides, while the rest of the settlements and rural population are located in the mid and high-hazard-level zones and, as such, are need to be secured in these zones.

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Today in democratic governments, accountability to people and obtain the consent of them form local services is important for people's participation in local governance and consequently it is important to organizational success. In rural areas, wide range of services offered by local public organizations. Rural Satisfaction with the quality of their services, is one of the public performance indicators. The purpose of this study was to measure and analyze the rural people satisfaction from services quality of local organizations in Ilam province. Research Statistical Unit, is all villages with over 20 households in Ilam province. Research Statistical population is all members of the village councils and the study was done by counting all. The overall 1130 questionnaires were collected from 398 villages. The data were collected using a closed questionnaire.The model of Service Quality Gaps was used to assessment of villager’s satisfaction and One sample Chi-square used to analysis and assessment of comments. Also Cluster analysis was used to compare and cluster the villagers' satisfaction and one way ANOVA tests and Duncan's post hoc test was used to compare the satisfaction of villagers in different counties. The results showed that the villagers have little satisfaction in all of the local organizations. Cluster analysis results show that villagers are the most satisfaction from primary education, rural health centers and telephone services.  Also ANOVA results show that villagers in Dehloran County are less and Ilam County most satisfied with the public services. Correlation analysis revealed that a positive correlation exists between index of rural enjoyment and the public consensus. Also there is a negative correlation between distance of accessibility index and the public consensus.

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Understanding weather zoning and knowing homogeneous climate regions are essential for land use and regional planning. The aim of this study was to compare three different geographical climate of Iran, the Caspian coastal, mountainous and arid interior of the provinces of Mazandaran, Semnan, Tehran, Qazvin, Qom, and Markazi. In order to do this study, climatic data of 56 synoptic and climatology stations and 19 climatic elements were used by using cluster analysis and factor analysis models. For this purpose, a matrix with dimensions of 56 x 19 and the R configuration and as a database was used for segmentation. By applying factor analysis based on principal components analysis with Varimax orthogonal rotation it was determined that in the climate of these three regions, four factors of humidity, temperature, dust and thunderstorms are affecting more than 85% of the total variance of the climate of this region. The hierarchical cluster analysis method and integration into the matrix of factor scores, four main and several sub-region areas were identified.The main areas are hot, dry desert area, ​​low rainfall mountain slopes, the mountainous and cold and semi-rainy regions and high rainfall and finally the moderate high rainfall. The study of four areas and their local and regional conditions shows that the neighborhood with humidity source such as the Caspian Sea and rough configurations such Alborz Mountains play a decisive role in the formation of north sub-areas.

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Nowadays most of the countries have chosen the tourism as a development strategy for the rural areas. The Hajij village with worthy natural, cultural and anthropological heritage has known as a tourism destination in Kermanshah province and west of Iran. In this research, the effects of tourism are studied in this village. The methodology is descriptive-analytic method. The necessary data were collected through both library and field methods. The population of this study equals to 180 persons- based on Cochran Table- including the 130 residents, 15 local governors and 35 visitors were selected by simple random method. Research tools include a researcher made questionnaire which its validity was confirmed based on the collective opinion of the universities professor's and experts of executive organizations. The reliability of the questionnaire was calculated at 0.867 using Cranach’s alpha test based on 20 pretesting. Data analysis was held by factor analysis in SPSS 21 software. The research findings showed that there are six main factors among 30 variables which interpret 70 percent of the variance of the tourism effects the most important is physical- facilitator effects. Moreover, the positive effects were %65.8 and the negative ones were %34.2 based on factor analysis.

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With the aim of development and reducing regional inequalities, regional planning is one of the most important subiects in developing countries. Regional planning requires the identification of the position of areas relative to each other in terms of their development. The aim of this study is to investigate and assess the level of Kermanshah province in terms of development indicators in order to find out the level of regional inequalities. The population of Kermanshah province is considered as statistical population. According to the investigated parameters of the research approach, it is “Descriptive - quantitative and analytical". This research is trying to use the 61 indicators based on 1390 almanac statistics and utilizes three statistical techniques of Vikor, Electre, SAW and integration of  results with Copeland  technique, classify existing inequalities in Kermanshah province. The results show that the Levels of development has been unbalanced and there is large gap and inequality among different cities of province in terms of development. The difference and inequality exist in various sectors of infrastructure such as economic, health, education, culture, social welfare and social. Only one city Gilangharb is developed and the rest of cities are semi- developed and deprived. To reduce inequalities in development in the province it is suggested that distribution of health, education and infrastructure indicators should be directed towards balanced growth and the index of infrastructure be emphasized more than the other indicators.                                            
 

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Transportation networks‚ particularly roads as a linking elements between settlements has a significant role in the exchange of flows between urban and rural areas and also rural development .The aim of this paper is to study the effect of highways construction and expanding transportation on rural stable development in the rural district of eastern Miankouh which by using survey method (questionnaire) have been turned to the studying of highways construction on development quality of adjacent villages in this rural district. In this study ‚mean time of defining the population community (514 family)‚ the 103 family was selected as a sample with Cochran formula (12 villages).The result of achieved data analysis‚ on the basis of‚ fitting regression test‚ linear regression and path analysis showed that the most general effect of highway construction is relevant to the environmental dimension with amount of (0/591) so that the contamination of soil and water resources have been increased in rural areas. Also using of fertilizers and pesticides is been prevalent. The amount of demolition of water resources such as springs and water channeling have been increased in the rural boundary. and also pastures‚ forests and fertile lands have been allocated to the building constructions and forming dimension with amount of (0/058) has the least overall effect on the rural stable development in the boundary of studying area.

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Agricultural sector has an important role in development of countries. One of the obstacles to development in this sector, especially in Iran is significant fragmentation of agricultural lands. The aim of this study is to assess the farmers’ willingness to participate in land consolidation project using structural equation modeling. The population of this study consists of all farmers of Meymeh County and its surrounding cities and villages and Niloofar-Abi cooperative of Vazvan city. Data were collected on a sample of 156 farmers through face-to-face interviews based on a comprehensive structured questionnaire. Before the survey, the reliability and validity of questionnaire was initially evaluated on a pre-test study respectively by using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, expert’s judgment and Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) criteria. The results of this study show that the most important factors on farmers' willingness to participation are crop acreage and number of plots which respectively has the greatest positive and negative effect. The awareness of the farmers about benefit of consolidation project is another factor which has significant and positive impact on farmers' willingness. Furthermore, level of farmers schooling has no significant effect.

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The aim of this study is synoptic analysis of heavy precipitations in Kurdistan Province during 1/1/1961 to 31/12/2010(18263days). By using two thresholds of extensively and intensity of precipitation, 107 days have been recognized. In temporal view, the selected days occurrences in wet seasons of year that start from October to June. By applying the principle component analysis on the sea level pressure during the 107 days, the results showed that 12 components explain about 93 percent of sea level pressure variation. The results of the applying cluster analysis on the component score showed that two circulation patterns result in occurrence of extreme and heavy precipitations in Kurdistan province. In order to recognize heavy precipitation in dry season (June to October), the area mean precipitation for the province have been calculated. According to the 99 percentile threshold and extensively of precipitation the heavy phenomena recognized. By two thresholds 32 days selected and same as to the wet season precipitation the sea level pressure data from NOAA extracted. The data analyzed by Principle Component Analysis and 11 components extracted that explain the 93 percent of variation sea level pressure in the frame study. By doing cluster analysis on the 11 components, one pattern recognized for the sea level pressure.  The results showed that in lower atmospheric levels (1000, 925 and 850 hpa) occurred highest convergence on the study region during wet season. The source of humidity in the lower levels is Arabian, Red, Oman, Persian Gulf and Mediterranean Seas. In the high level atmosphere, the value of convergence is low. The sources of humidity in high levels atmosphere are Red and Mediterranean Seas. In the mid level atmosphere (500 hpa) the presence of trough results in nutrition of the instability on the study region. Also during dry season, the highest moisture flux convergence occurred in the low levels but the resource of the moisture is Caspian Sea. In the upper levels (from 700 hpa to up) in addation to Caspian Sea, Mediterranean and Red sea are the resource of heavy precipitations.

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Variation of snow cover area (SCA) in small to large scale catchment can be studied using MODIS snow products on daily to montly time step since the year 2000. However, one of the major problems in applying the MODIS snow products is cloud obscuration which limits the utilization of these products. In the current study, variation of SCA was investigated in Karoun basin, western part of Iran, using MODIS 8-day snow cover product (MOD10A2). More over in order to overcome the cloud barrier in application of snow cover products, a simultaneous employment of the images from both MODIS optical sensor and AMSR-E microwave sensor was recommended. Meeting our target, the combination of MODIS and AMSR-E daily images was exercised to accomplish snow cover area in daily interval and afterwards, a comparison was made between the result and those which had been obtained by the sole utilization of either of them while the weather had been either cloudy and not been overcast. Validation of snow cover gained by combined images was additionally compared with the discharge of one of the catchments existing in Karoun basin. The results demonstrate that regardless of the fact that microwave data, featuring a coarse spatial resolution, can penetrate the cloud cover, on average, AMSR-E images approximately show 16% more snow cover in comparison to MODIS images. The results also illustrate that the correlation existing between snow cover rate of AMSR-E and MODIS images during cloudless days, the difference of average snow cover area decreases from 16% to 5%. Moreover, the upshot of validation by the exercise of daily discharge data indicates that by possessing a correlation coefficient of 0.66, the correlation of snow cover and discharge in combined images features a higher accuracy in comparison to MODIS images with a correlation coefficient of 0.55.

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The subject of the study is to analysis pattern of Mahabad River channel. This area is located on the south of Uromia Lake. Rapid changing of its channels pattern is an important characteristics which the evaluation of these characteristics is necessary to any hmplementation of development projects. For this purpose, the morphological changes of river channel were recognized by the areal photographices and satellite imageduring different times periods. The relationship between effective variables on the channel pattern such as, discharge, slope, stream power,stream bank clay content and width of bed, and observed pattern changes were analyses. The results showed that formation of braising channels could be the result of accumulation of bank coarse materials and increasing of width to depth ratio. The pattern of the river changed to sinuosity at the downside of braiding channel.the increased discharge and more river bank resistance due to high clay content caused to river pattern changed from breading to sinocity.In the distance between Mahabad dam at the upstream and diversion dam at the downstream, the river pattern was changed to Anabaranching. Assessment and comparison of Arial photographs before and after of Mahabad dam construction revealed that these types of channels were developed recently. Reduction of peak flows and sediment deposition in the channel as the result of dam construction, prepared the essenssial conditions to form Anabrancing

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  Climate control centers in each area are diverse and understanding how they relate to the atmospheric components of the Earth's surface contribute to prediction of climate fluctuations.   In this study, by using Pearson's correlation and multivariate regression in a thirty-year period (1961-2010), the relationship between widespread rainfall anomalies in entire of Iran west with temperature and pressure of atmospheric centers in East and West of Mediterranean Sea in 5 atmospheric levels (SLP, 850, 500 and 300 Hpa) were analyzed and modeled. Based on the results, the correlation of atmospheric control centers in the East and West Mediterranean Sea with anomalies of rainfall in West of Iran is inverse and meaningful in 95% level. In this study, statistical indicators such as temperature differences and standardized  pressure between West and East Mediterranean sea were identified as the most important indicators in relation to changes of rainfall in the study area.   Based on the designed indicators, whenever indicators DT and DH is positive, this means higher temperature and higher atmospheric standardized pressure in the Western parts of Mediterranean sea in compare with its East and therefore the wet spells (Monthly) occur in the study area, and If the above mentioned index is negative, means that the occurrence of drought in West Iran. As for the indicators introduced for lower levels of the atmosphere, especially in the case of temperature, meaningful strong and direct correlation is seen with rainfall abnormalities in entire West of Iran. Modeling provided some indicator for Mediterranean region using multivariate regression that they showed a relatively strong correlation in this regard of the selected components that include the pressure difference in sea level, the temperature difference in 925 and 850 hPa level in the West (Compared to its East) Mediterranean sea. Also check the regression model using real data confirm the accuracy of the relative performance of the model.  

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Abstract

Urban form can be affected by diverse factors in different times. Socio- economic, political and physical factors are among the main contributors. So, one of the most important challenges of urban planners is measuring and identifying urban development pattern in order to direct and strengthen it to sustainable pattern and right direction. The case study of the present paper is the city of Yazd, a middle-sized city in the center of Iran, and the studied years are 1975, 1987, 2000 and 2010. To achieve the main objective of the paper, measuring Yazd growth and expansion by spatial metrics, it has used remote sensing data and satellite imageries and ArcGIS software. The conclusion revealed that in four periods of study, complexity or irregularity of the urban patch shapes has increased, centrality or average distance of the dispersed parts to the city center has decreased, compactness or the number and area of patches their distance from each other has decreased, porosity or ratio of open space has increased and finally population density of city has decreased in a large amount. Therefore, all perimeters show that the temporal - spatial form of Yazd has moved from compact to sprawl. Due to many undesired impacts of urban sprawl, urban planners and authorities are required to use adherent techniques and policies to control urban sprawl and to direct it toward more sustainable directions.

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This study tries to identify, classify, and analyze synoptic cold wave in North West region of Iran. This study applies standardized (z scores) index of Minimum Temperature in the period of 1951-2010.as such cold waves were classified based on the intensity of occurance. Out of occured cold wave in North West of the coldest identified wave pertaingt each class for synoptic analyzes were selected. This study suggests that the prevailing pressure pattern during the relevant wave indicates high pressure over the earth surface as well as deep trough in upper layer. From the continuing cold standpoint, the role of changing position from pavallel wind in to meridional corresponel to blocking is very offective. Blocking in turn leads to reduction in speed of cold air masses which are originating from higher latitude. They were assouclated with cold waves. More precipitation as so ciated with higher latitude as well as low speed flows will lead to strong and continious waves.

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In developing countries, every year natural hazards causes major losses in urban and rural settlements. In this regard, it is noteworthy that in December 2004 bam earthquake caused widespread damages. With over 9 years passed of this crisis and reconstruction after that, it is important to assess the quality of reconstruction. So, the problem is that how is the physical quality of Bam that reconstructed. So, based on the theoretical framework, two hypotheses were offered. Then, based on the theoretical bases and previous studies, the operational definition of physical quality concept offered in three indexes and 40 indicators, and combined by AHP and SAW methods. Needed data gathered by households, experts and field questionnaires. For testing hypotheses used causal-comparative and correlation methods. Sample size calculated by Cochran's method (311 households). Sampling has done by cluster and random methods. Gathered data were analyzed by: One-way ANOVA and Tukey-test at first hypotheses; and correlations methods at second hypotheses. The results showed that the physical quality of reconstructed residential environment in Bam is different between various neighborhoods. Also, the results of correlation test showed that general physical quality have significant relation with literacy, income, occupation and socio-economic status at 99 percent of confidence. According to the findings, physical quality at society scale has socio-economical aspects. So, we must pay attention to this point seriously.

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In this study is simulation of role of topography in thickness and Inland penetration of sea-breeze in southern coast of the Caspian Sea. The RegCM4 as a regional scale climate model coupled with a lake model and also the reanalysis data of NCEP / NCAR used to determine of the initial conditions of the model. The model was run during the peak of sea breeze on the southern coast of the Caspian Sea (July 2002) in both conditions (with mountains) and (without mountains). the outputs indicated that in without topography condition depth of the sea breeze will increase to the current position the southern slopes of the Alborz Mountains ( latitude ᵒ35 ) but the land breeze in the area is gone. The maximum speed and changes in wind direction observed on the coast southeast and central Alborz respectively. In addition with non-topography conditions, the thickness of sea breeze in different areas significantly has increased with the highest rate on the eastern coast (longitude ᵒ53).