Journal of Natural Environment

Journal of Natural Environment

Comparative analysis of theoretical and practical perspectives on prioritizing environmental challenges in mountainous climate cities of Iran

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Elahe Azimi
Mohamadreza Noghanmohamadi
Samaneh Khosravani-Nezhad
Department of Urban Planning, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran.
10.22059/jne.2026.415293.2918
Abstract
Mountainous climate cities in Iran face numerous environmental challenges due to their unique natural features and urban development patterns, the intensity of which is influenced by both natural and human factors. This study aims to prioritize these challenges by comparing the results of a systematic literature review with the perspectives of urban planning and environmental experts. In terms of methodology, this research is descriptive and analytical. The required data were first gathered based on the PRISMA framework by searching academic databases and the challenges were then extracted using inductive content analysis and prioritized according to their frequency. In the next step, the Analytic Hierarchy Process and a pairwise comparison questionnaire were utilized to assess the experts views. The data were aggregated using the geometric mean and analyzed in Super Decisions software, while the consistency of judgments was evaluated through the inconsistency rate. The results indicated a significant difference between the prioritization of challenges in scientific studies and the perspectives of experts. The academic literature emphasizes natural hazards such as floods, landslides, and air pollution, whereas experts place a higher priority on structural and managerial issues such as the water crisis, population density, migration, traffic, and infrastructural deficiencies. This suggests that while research texts focus on visible consequences, professional insight considers human and managerial roots to be more decisive. Ultimately, the environmental challenges of these cities are not solely driven by natural factors but are influenced by the pattern of development. Achieving sustainability requires a transition from a crisis-driven approach to integrated, proactive, and resilient planning.
Keywords
">Mountainous climate cities, Environmental challenges, Systematic review, ">Analytic Hierarchy Process, Iran.
Alizadeh, M., Ngah, I., Hashim, M., Pradhan, B., Pour, A.B., 2018. A hybrid analytic network process and artificial neural network (ANP-ANN) model for urban earthquake vulnerability assessment. Remote Sensing 10(12), 1928.
Azizi Mehmandoust, M., 2011. Crisis management and environmental threats in Iran. Passive Defense Quarterly 2(1), 22-33. (In Persian)
Babaei, S., Ghazavi, R., Erfanian, M., 2018. Urban flood simulation and prioritization of critical urban sub-catchments using SWMM model and PROMETHEE II approach. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts A/B/C 105(5), 3-11.
Bahari, R.A., Abbaspour, R.A., Pahlavani, P., 2014. Prediction of PM2.5 concentrations using temperature inversion effects based on an artificial neural network. The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences XL2(3), 15-17.
Chaudhary, M.T., Piracha, A., 2021. Natural disasters—origins, impacts, management. Encyclopedia 1(4), 1101-1131.
Charehjoo, F., Ho Chin S., 2013. Applying quantitative techniques to evaluate the level of sustainability for physical dimension of urban form in Sanandaj City, Iran. International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning 8(3), 275-287.
Conkin, P.K., 2006. The State of the Earth: Environmental Challenges on the Road to 2100. University Press of Kentucky, Lexington, 272 p.
Cui, X., Li, S., Li, Z., Dong, Z., 2024. Exploring the impact of mountain urban characteristics on housing prices: A study utilizing street view visual features. ISPRS Annals of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences 2(4), 91-98.
Dai, E., Wang, Y., Ma, L., Yin, L., Wu, Z., 2018. Urban-rural gradient analysis of landscape changes around cities in mountainous regions: A case study of the Hengduan Mountain Region in Southwest China. Sustainability 10(4), 10-19.
Dame, J., Schmidt, S., Müller, J., Nüsser, M., 2019. Urbanisation and socio-ecological challenges in high mountain towns: Insights from Leh (Ladakh), India. Landscape and Urban Planning 189(2), 189-199.
Duan, Y., Yu, M., Sun, W., Zhang, S., Li, Y., 2024. Spatial vulnerability assessment for mountain cities based on the GA-BP neural network: A case study in Linzhou, Henan, China. Land 13(6), 825.
Farahi Boshehri, T., Azeredo, G.A., Nosrati, M., Yazdani, T., Pireh, M., 2025. Spatial analysis of landslide susceptibility and rural vulnerability in the Gavarud Basin, Western Iran. Asian Soil Research Journal 9(4), 156-171.
Ghorbanzadeh Savar, G.A., Kamkari, M., 2025. Identifying environmental challenges in Iran and solutions for improving them based on the Fink model. Society and Environment 2(5), 57–82. (In Persian)
Hajian, F., Dykes, A.P., Cavanagh, S., 2018. Assessment of the flood hazard arising from land use change in a forested catchment in northern Iran. Journal of Flood Risk Management 12(4), 1-16.
Hosseinzadeh, S.R., 2004. Environmental crises in the metropolises of Iran. WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment 72, 1-9.
Huang, H., Ma, J., Yang, Y., 2017. Spatial identification and risk assessment of high-temperature heat wave disasters in mountain cities: A case study of Chongqing. Landscape Architecture 31(8), 95-103.
Javadi, A., Pourehashemi, A., Shirazian, Sh., 2017. Problems and challenges facing the development of international environmental law (A critical approach). Journal of Environmental Science and Technology 20 (1), 111-124. (In Persian)
Kamranzad, F., Memarian, H., Zare, M., 2020. Earthquake risk assessment for Tehran, Iran. ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information 9 (7), 430- 438.
Kumari, R., 2022. Urban environmental challenges associated with dynamics of slum settlement. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 1084 (1), 12-37.
Larijani, M., 2020. Principles and Concepts of Environmental Education. Payam-e Noor Publications, Tehran, 250 p. (In Persian)
Mansour, S., Al-Belushi, M., Al-Awadhi, T., 2020. Monitoring land use and land cover changes in the mountainous cities of Oman using GIS and CA-Markov modelling techniques. Land Use Policy 91(3), 104-115.
Mokhtari Hoshi, H., Moradia, A., 2021. Environmental consequences of the water crisis. Political Spatial Planning 2(5), 117-131.
Omidvar, K., Ebrahimi, R., 2019. Concepts and Glossary of Environmental Hazards Terminology. Yazd University Publications, Yazd, 220 p. (In Persian)
Pilehvar, A.A., 2021. Spatial-geographical analysis of urbanization in Iran. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications 8(1), 63-72.
Pohekar, S.D., Ramachandran, M., 2004. Application of multi-criteria decision making to sustainable energy planning-A review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 8(4), 365-381.
Rastegaripour, F., Tavassoli, A., Babaeian, M., Fernández-Gálvez, J., Caballero-Calvo, A., 2024. Assessing the impacts of climate change on water resource management and crop patterns in Eastern Iran. Agricultural Water Management 295 (2), 108-115.
Saaty, T.L., 1980. How to make a decision: The analytic hierarchy process. European Journal of Operational Research 48(3), 9–26.
Shayeghi, S., Nikoo, M.R., Roshan, G., Barandagh Shojaee, S., 2020. Environmental challenges in Iran: Perspectives from academia. Environmental Development 49(6), 943-961.
Solecki, W., 2012. Urban environmental challenges and climate change action in New York City. Environment & Urbanization 24(2), 557-573.
Thornton, J.M., Snethlage, M.A., Sayre, R., Urbach, D.R., Vivioli, D., Ehrlich, D., Muccione, V., Wester, P., Insarov, G., Adler, C., 2022. Human populations in the world’s mountains: Spatio-temporal patterns and potential controls. PLOS ONE 17(7), e0271466.
Wang, H., Peng, P., Kong, X., Zhang, T., Yi, G., 2019. Evaluating the suitability of urban expansion based on the logic minimum cumulative resistance model: A case study from Leshan, China. ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information 8(7), 291-310.
Zhang, Y., Liu, J., 2021. Study on mountain city landscape gradient characteristics and urban construction coupling: Taking the Yangtze River to the eastern ridge line of Nan Mountain in Chongqing as an example. Journal of Resources and Ecology 12(3), 130-138.
Zhong, Y., Zhang, X., Yang, Y., Xue, M., 2023. Optimization and simulation of mountain city land use based on MOP-PLUS model: A case study of Caijia Cluster, Chongqing. ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information 12(11), 451-460.
Zhyrak, R., 2024. The role of urban sculpture in forming the meaning of identity in modern urban planning. Municipal Economy of Cities 6(187), 81-87.
Ziari, K., Zare, S., Abbas, R.A., 2025. The challenges of sustainability in urban planning (the metropolis of Tehran). Journal of Infrastructure, Policy and Development 9(2), 85-100.
Journal of Natural Environment
Volume 79, Issue 3
Summer 2026
Pages 585-604