Sociological Study of the Challenge of Surface Water Management and Its Impact on the Daily Life of the Citizens of Ahvaz (Case Study: Urban Flood and Overflow of Sewage in the Cities of Ahvaz and Karun from 2018 to 2014)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Department of Geography and Urban Planning, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran

10.22055/qjsd.2023.41990.2734

Abstract

In February 2016 in Khuzestan province, dust in combination with air humidity affecting the province's electricity grid and widespread blackouts. As a consequence of the power outage, other infrastructure in the province also suffered, causing widespread public reactions. Thus, a technological disaster that affected the region's environmental conditions brought with it widespread social consequences. Accordingly, this article identifies and analyzes the social dimensions and consequences of the disaster and understanding the causes of the reactions. In this regard, by analyzing the literature on disaster analysis, Lindell's disaster assessment framework was chosen as the basic conceptual framework. Based on this framework and performing qualitative and quantitative analysis, the data obtained from interviews with different authorities and groups of people were analyzed and based on the results, a survey was conducted throughout Ahvaz. The findings of the study showed that there is a wide perceptual gap between the authorities and different groups of people in Khuzestan regarding different concepts related to the disaster and this causes widespread social consequences such as increased concern about recurrence of the disaster, increased tendency to migrate from the province, dissatisfaction with performance about disaster management, Increasing the awareness of the people about the problems of the province, …. Based on the obtained analysis, Solutions have been proposed to effect community resilience policies against possible future events.

Keywords

Main Subjects


Aldrich, D.P. and M.A. Meyer (2015). “Social capital and community resilience”, American behavioral scientist, 59(2): p. 254-269.
Amaratunga, D. and R. Haigh (2011). Post-disaster reconstruction of the built environment: Rebuilding for resilience, John Wiley & Sons.
Bank, T.W. (2014). THAI Flood Rapid Assessment for Resilient Recovery and Reconstruction Planning, 2011.Blaikie, P., et al., At risk: natural hazards, people's vulnerability and disasters, Routledge.
Berke, P. R., R. Chuenpagdee, K. Juntarashote, and S. Chang. (2008). “Human-ecological dimensions of disaster resiliency in Thailand: socialcapital and aid delivery”, Journal of Environmental Planning and Management 51, 303-317.
Brouwer, R. and R. Van Ek (2004). “Integrated ecological, economic and social impact assessment of alternative flood control policies in the Netherlands”, Ecological economics, 50(1): p. 1-21.
Davis, M. and S. Clemmer (2014). Power Failure: How climate change puts our electricity at risk-and what we can do about it: Union of Concerned Scientists.
Faizi, K.; Sarkisian, A. (2008). “Analysis of quality criteria in qualitative research methods”, Tourism Studies Quarterly, 1-24. (Persian).
Flick, U. (2009). An introduction to qualitative research. Hadi Jalili Tehran: Ney Publishing. (Persian).
Flick, U. (2014). An introduction to qualitative research. Hadi Jalili Tehran: Nashrani. (Persian).
Gurtner, Y., A. Cottrell, and D. King (2011). PRE & RAPID: Community Impact Assessment for Disaster Recovery, James Cook University.
https://www.undp.org/sites/g/files/zskgke326/files/publications/PDNA_Agriculture_final.pdf.
Kamal al-Dini, M. (2018). “A theoretical review on the social terminology of disaster”, Knowledge Quarterly of Crisis Prevention and Management. Vol. 9, No. 4, Pages 403-414. (Persian).
Kreps, G.A. (2001). Sociology of disaster. In: International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences, Smelser, N.J. and Bates, P.B. (Eds.). Amsterdam: Elsevier Publishing Company.
Lindell, M. K. (2011). Disaster studies. Texas A&M University.
Neumayer, E. and T. Plumper (2007). “The gendered nature of natural disasters: The impact of catastrophic events on the gender gap in life expectancy, 1981–2002”, Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 97(3): p. 551-566.
Neumayer, E. and T. Plumper (2007). “The gendered nature of natural disasters: The impact of catastrophic events on the gender gap in life expectancy, 1981–2002”, Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 97(3): p. 551-566.
Parsons, M., Glavac, S., Hastings, P., Marshall, G., McGregor, J., McNeill, J., Morley, P., Reeve, I., Stayner, R.,  (2016). “Top-down assessment of disaster resilience: A conceptual framework using coping and adaptive capacities”, International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, (19): p. 1-11.
Pasandideh, A., Heydari Gh., Junadele, A., Kaygbadi, M. (2019). “Methodology of social analysis of incidents and accidents in the electricity industry: a case study of blackouts in Khuzestan province in February 2015”, Quarterly Journal of Energy Planning and Policy Research; 6 (2): 115-154. (Persian).
Report of the research project analysis of the economic dimension of the power outage incident in Khuzestan province in February 2015, Niro Research Institute, 2017 (Persian).
Ricovery, G., F., D., R., A., (2012). Introduction: What is a PDNA Disaster and Crisis Recovery Operations for Increased Resilience.
Ritchie, L. A., and D. A., Gill (2007). “Social capital theory as an integrating theoretical framework in technological disaster research”, Sociological Spectrum, 27(1): p. 103-129.
Roberts, P.H., Priest M., Traynor R. (2006). “Reliability and validity in research”, Nursing Standard; 20(44): 41-45.
Salvador, G.O.E. (2009). Damage, Loss, and Needs Assessment for Disaster Recovery and Reconstruction after the low pressure system associated with Tropical Storm Ida.
Sarewitz, D. and R. Pielke J. (2001). “Extreme events: a research and policy framework for disasters in context”, International Geology Review, 43(5): p. 406-418.
Sarmad, Z.; Bazargan, A., E. Hijazi (2005). Research methods in behavioral sciences. Twelfth edition, Tehran: Age Publications. (Persian).
Schwab, J. (2014). Planning for post-disaster recovery: Next generation. American Planning Association.
Strauss, A. and Corbin, J. (2015). The principles of qualitative research method: the basic theory of procedures and methods. Translated by Buyk Mohammadi. Tehran: Research Institute of Human Sciences and Cultural Studies. (Persian).
Tabatabai, A.; Hosni, P.; Mortazavi, H.; Tabatabai Chehar, M. (2013). “Strategies for promotion and scientific accuracy in qualitative research”, Journal of Medical Sciences of North Khorasan University, Volume 5, Number 3: 663-670. (Persian).
Tierney, K. J. (2007). “From the margins to the mainstream? Disaster research at the crossroads”, Annual Review of Sociology 33: 503-525.
Unisdr, U. (2009). Terminology on disaster risk reductionو Geneva, Switzerland.