Developing a Theoretical model for Urban Landscape restoration of the Haraz River with an Ecological Resilience approach

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Graduated from LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, University of Shiraz

2 Assistant professor, faculty member of the Faculty of Art and Architecture, Shiraz University

Abstract

The ecological nature of the urban landscape of rivers, as one of the main pillars of natural ecosystems, has a significant impact on the environmental quality of cities. With the increase in urbanization and the expansion of human activities, these ecosystems have faced serious challenges in such a way that ecosystem pollution brings with it hydrological changes and destruction of animal habitats, which leads to the destruction of the river ecosystem and changes in its biological structure. In addition, interfering factors resulting from environmental hazards are also considered a serious threat to the ecosystem of inner-city rivers. Therefore, the necessity of ecological restoration of rivers in order to restore the urban landscape, natural ecosystems and increase their resilience to environmental changes and human interventions is a vital issue in the management of contemporary urban programs. This research, with developmental-applied objectives, with an exploratory-correlational method, with library data, first reviews the research literature and then, using authentic historical documents of the Haraz River, field observations and remote sensing images, develops a theoretical model with deductive-inferential analyses; finally, the ecological components effective in improving the urban landscape of inner-city rivers are extracted with a resilience approach. Hydrological components, biological and morphological diversity are known as key factors in the ecological structure of the river. Diversity, ecological variables, modularity, ecosystem services, development and overlap of rules, innovation, social capital and feedback review are the effective components in ecological resilience extracted to be placed in a process-oriented evolutionary structure and a theoretical model of restoration is developed. For this purpose, the study sample; The Haraz River in Amol city is examined and in order to realize the theoretical model, relevant strategies for improving the Haraz River are explained to be included in Amol urban development plans.

Highlights

  • This research analyzes the damages and destruction caused by urban development and human interventions in altering the structure of natural ecosystems of urban rivers.
  • This research emphasizes the necessity of forming an "ecological resilience" perspective in urban design and urban development programs and presents the related components.
  • The results of the research are derived from the integration of components affecting the ecological characteristics of rivers and the components of ecological resilience.

Keywords


  • Ab & Energy Consulting Engineers. (2016). Studies on determining the riverbed and buffer zone, Phase 1 rehabilitation and cadastral mapping of the Haraz River (Report Code: RE-BR-C-02). [in Persian].
  • Abedini, M., Faal Nazari, M., & Pirouzi, E. (2023). Flood hazard assessment and zoning using ARAS multi-criteria technique and unit hydrograph (Case study: Upstream basin of the Soltan Meshginshahr hydrometric station). Natural Environmental Hazards, 12(35), 115–138. [in Persian]. https://doi.org/10.22111/jneh.2022.40684.1863
  • Aghabeygi Amin, S. (2005). Temporal and spatial variation patterns of suspended sediment in the main sub-basins of the Haraz River. [Master’s thesis, Tarbiat Modares University, Faculty of Natural Resources and Marine Sciences] [in Persian].
  • Akhtar, F., Fazl-Oliya, R., Darzi Naftchali, A., & Mashhadi Kholardi, F. (2021). Investigating and analyzing the impact of the urban area (Amol city) on the water quality of the Haraz River based on standard quality indices. Water Resources Engineering Journal, 14(50), 117–130. https://doi.org/10.30495/wej.2021.17270.2016 [in Persian].
  • Aminirad, H., Abessi, O., Golbabaei Kootenaei, F., Mirrezaei, M. A., Taghizadeh, T., Saeidi, P., & Darvishi, G. (2021). Investigation of self-purification capacity and water quality of Haraz river during dry and wet season. Journal of Applied Research in Water and Wastewater, 8(1), 21–27. https://doi.org/10.22126/arww.2021.6175.1201
  • Amol County Natural Resources and Watershed Management. (2024). Comparative discharge report of the Haraz River from 2016. [in Persian].
  • Anawar, M., & Chowdhury, R. (2020). Remediation of polluted river water by biological, chemical, ecological and engineering processes. Sustainability, 12(17), 7017. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12177017
  • Astbury, J. (2017). River Aire by Superpositions: Where the line between the natural and planned is blurred. Architectural Reviewhttps://www.architectural-review.com/buildings/river-aire-by-superpositions-where-the-line-between-the-natural-and-planned-is-blurred
  • Atelier Dreiseitl. (2012). Kallang River-Bishan Park, Singapore. World Landscape Architecthttps://worldlandscapearchitect.com/kallang-river-bishan-park-singapore-atelier-dreiseitl/?v=3a1ed7090bfa
  • Azari, K. (2021). Feasibility study on the use of abandoned riverbank areas in inner-city rivers for formulating a large-scale regeneration program for the Haraz Riverbank in Amol. [Master’s thesis, Tarbiat Modares University, Faculty of Art and Architecture] [in Persian].
  • Bamanian, M. R. (2008). Planning for the restoration of Tehran’s natural river valleys using SWOT strategic factor analysis (Case study: Velenjak river valley). Environmental Sciences Quarterly, 5(4). Shahid Beheshti University. https://envs.sbu.ac.ir/article_96877.html [in Persian].
  • Buckley, R. (1991). Environmental impacts of recreation in parks and reserves. Perspectives in Environmental Management, 243–258. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-76502-5_13
  • Cieślak-Arkuszewska, A. (2020). A river in small town landscape. Selected issues. Przestrzeń i Forma. https://doi.org/10.21005/pif.2020.44.D-01
  • Cook, E. A. (1991). Urban landscape networks: an ecological planning framework. Landscape Research, 16(3), 7–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/01426399108706345
  • Deyousalar, A., Shokri Firouzjah, P., & Ferdowsi, S. (2011). Comparative analysis of urban space revitalization in Iran and successful global experiences in flood channels and urban rivers. Urban Ecology Research Journal, 2(4). [in Persian]. https://dorl.net
  • Ebadi, A. G., Toughani, M., Najafi, A., & Babaee, M. (2020). A brief overview on current environmental issues in Iran. Central Asian Journal of Environmental Science and Technology Innovation, 1(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.22034/CAJESTI.2020.01.08
  • Emlaei, Z., Pourebrahim, S., Heidari, H., & Lee, K. E. (2022). The impact of climate change as well as land-use and land-cover changes on water yield services in Haraz Basin. Sustainability, 14(13), 7578. https://doi.org/doi.org/10.3390/su14137578
  • Esmaeili, R., & Nourizadeh Nashli, N. (2024). Assessment of morphological changes in the Haraz River due to human pressures in the Amol city area, Mazandaran. Hydrogeomorphology, 11(40), 40–57. https://doi.org/10.22034/hyd.2024.61151.1733 [in Persian].
  • Farzadbehtash, M. R., Aghababaei, M. T., & Mohammadamini, M. (2010). Examining the condition of Farahzad River Valley before and after rehabilitation. Tehran Urban Studies and Planning Center, 15. [in Persian].
  • Francis, R. A. (2012). Positioning urban rivers within urban ecology. Urban Ecosystems, 15(2), 285–291. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-012-0227-6
  • Gholami, L., Karimi, N., & Kavian, A. (2017). Bioengineering methods for soil management and steep slope stabilization. Ecohydrology, 4(1), 149–162. [in Persian]. https://doi.org/10.22059/ije.2017.60897
  • Gholami, N., Soleimani, K., Kavian, A., & Gholami, V. (2021). Investigating the impact of mining activities on determining the quantitative buffer zone of the Haraz River. Watershed Engineering and Management, 13(4), 758–768. [in Persian]. https://doi.org/10.22092/ijwmse.2021.353093.1871
  • Goudarzi, M., Soltani, Z., & Ebrahimi, A. (2024). Evaluation and trend analysis of physical development in Gotvand towards flood-prone areas. Natural Environmental Hazards, 13(42), 15–30. [in Persian]. https://doi.org/10.22111/jneh.2024.47298.2004
  • Green, C. (2010). Towards sustainable flood risk management. International Journal of Disaster Risk Science, 1, 33–43. https://doi.org/10.3974/j. issn.2095-0055.2010.01.006
  • Haeri, S., & Masnavi, M. R. (2023). Analysis of ecological enhancement strategies for the Dry River landscape in Shiraz within the framework of sustainable urban development with an emphasis on flood hazard management. Environmental Hazard Management, 10(1), 71–89. https://doi.org/10.22059/jhsci.2023.356409.771 [in Persian].
  • Haeri, S., Habibi, A., Sheibani, M., & Saeedi Zadeh Naeini, M. (2022). Strategies for improving seasonal urban rivers' resilience against environmental hazards with ecological resilience. Manzar, 14(60), 62–77. https://doi.org/10.22034/manzar.2022.325484.2178 [in Persian].
  • Hajarian, A. (2024). Identification and analysis of coastal area resilience against natural hazards (Case study: Mahshahr Port). Natural Environmental Hazards, 13(42), 31–52. https://doi.org/10.22111/jneh.2024.47336.2007 [in Persian].
  • Hassani, O., & Ebrahimi, F. (2023). Organization of urban landscape and green spaces in Amol: Green space identification document for Region 2 [in Persian].
  • Iran Department of Environment. (2017). Haraz in the maze of consumption. Iranian Department of Environment. [in Persian]. https://www.iana.ir
  • Jobin, L., & Namour, P. (2017). Bioremediation in water environment: controlled electro-stimulation of organic matter self-purification in aquatic environments. Advances in Microbiology, 7, 813–852. https://doi.org/10.4236/aim.2017.712064
  • Karbasi, A., & Kalantari, F. (2007). Investigation of pollution sources in the Haraz River and proposing management strategies for its control. Environmental Science and Technology, 3(9), 61–70. [in Persian]. https://sanad.iau.ir/journal/jest/Article/839304
  • Kavian, A. (2017). Application of the semi-physical distributed SWAT model in simulating the impact of land use changes on runoff in the Haraz Dam watershed. Research and Applied Studies Group, Mazandaran Regional Water Company. [in Persian]. https://civilica.com/doc/1282783
  • Khayyat Rostami, B., & Anvar, A. (2017). A review of practical experiences in river restoration worldwide. Proceedings of the 16th Iranian Hydraulic Conference, Ardabil. [in Persian]. https://civilica.com/doc/727636
  • Larijani, S., Bannejad, H., Kavian, A., & Ziaei, A. N. (2023). Water quality assessment of the Haraz River using health, pollution, weighted, and social accounting indices (Case study: Punjab to upstream of Haraz Dam). Iranian Journal of Irrigation and Water Engineering, 13(Summer Special Issue), 369–387. [in Persian]. https://doi.org/10.22125/iwe.2022.345003.1638
  • Lin, Q. (2011). Influence of Dams on River Ecosystem and Its Countermeasures. Journal of Water Resource and Protection, 3(1), 60–66. https://doi.org/10.4236/jwarp.2011.31007
  • Maki, T., Mostafavi, H., & Abdoli, A. (2016). Conservation of river biodiversity using the landscape ecology approach. Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Landscape Ecology, Isfahan. [in Persian]. https://civilica.com/doc/547671
  • Marzluff, J. M., Shulenberger, E., Endlicher, W., Alberti, M., Bradley, G., Ryan, C., ZumBrunnen, C., & Simon, U. (2008). An international perspective on the interaction between humans and nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-73412-5
  • Minaei, M., & Vahidinia, M. H. (2022). Preventive strategies for flood mitigation using remote sensing and agent-based modeling (Case study: Shush County). Natural Environmental Hazards, 11(33), 197–216. [in Persian]. https://doi.org/10.22111/jneh.2022.38718.1812
  • Mohammadi, M., Egli, M., Kavian, A., & Lizaga, I. (2023). Static and dynamic source identification of trace elements in river and soil environments under anthropogenic activities in the Haraz plain, Northern Iran. Science of the Total Environment, 892, 164432. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164432
  • Molaaghajanzadeh, S., Soleimani, K., Habibnejad, M., Kavian, A., & Rahmani, M. (2021). Application of remote sensing in assessing land use changes in the Haraz watershed. Geographical Research Journal, 36(3), 275–284. [in Persian]. http://georesearch.ir/article-1-981-fa.html
  • Nouhani, E., Darabi, F., Maroufinia, E., & Khosravi, K. (2016). Evaluation of the Shannon entropy model in preparing flood susceptibility and probability maps in the Haraz watershed. Natural Environmental Hazards, 5(10), 99–116. [in Persian]. https://doi.org/10.22111/jneh.2017.2958
  • Online News Agency. (2023). Significant destruction of the protected river. 55 Online News. [in Persian]. https://www.55online.news
  • Pariour, P., Faryadi, Sh., Yavari, A. R., Salehi, E., & Herati, P. (2013). Expanding ecological sustainability strategies to increase urban environmental resilience (Case study: Tehran Municipality Districts 1 and 3). Environmental Studies, 39(1), 123–132. https://doi.org/10.22059/jes.2013.30393 [in Persian].
  • Pickett, S. T., Cadenasso, M. L., & Grove, J. M. (2004). Resilient cities: meaning, models, and metaphor for integrating the ecological, socio-economic, and planning realms. Landscape and Urban Planning, 69(4), 369–384. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2003.10.035
  • Pickett, S. T., Cadenasso, M. L., Grove, J. M., Nilon, C. H., Pouyat, R. V., Zipperer, W. C., & Costanza, R. (2001). Urban ecological systems: linking terrestrial ecological, physical, and socioeconomic components of metropolitan areas. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 32(1), 127–157. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.32.081501.114012
  • Pirnia, A., Darabi, H., Choubin, B., Omidvar, E., Onyutha, C., & Haghighi, A. T. (2019). Contribution of climatic variability and human activities to stream flow changes in the Haraz River basin, northern Iran. Journal of Hydro-Environment Research, 25, 12–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jher.2019.05.001
  • Sashourpour, M., & Elyasi, E. (2015). Urban design of Abkenar with a sustainable development approach (Case study: Mahabad River). Journal of Urban Landscape Research, 4, 19. [in Persian]. https://www.magiran.com
  • Schmutz, S., & Moog, O. (2018). Dams: ecological impacts and management. Riverine Ecosystem Management: Science for Governing towards a Sustainable Future, 111–127. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73250-3_6
  • Schouten, M. A., Van der Heide, C. M., Heijman, W. J., & Opdam, P. F. (2012). A resilience-based policy evaluation framework: Application to European rural development policies. Ecological Economics, 81, 165-175. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2012.07.004
  • Sedaghat, M., Soleimani, K., & Rashidpour, M. (2016). Assessment of flood sensitivity in Amol city using GIS technique. Proceedings of the 3rd Scientific-Research Conference on New Horizons in Geography, Planning, Architecture, and Urban Planning of Iran, Tehran. [in Persian]. https://civilica.com/doc/505482
  • Shafiei, B., Irani Behabahani, H., Mokhtoum, M., Yavari, A. R., & Karimi, K. (2003). Presenting design and restoration models in riverside areas considering ecological landscape principles. Environmental Studies, 29(32), 1–14. [in Persian]. https://dorl.net
  • Shahabi, H. (2021). Flood susceptibility zoning in northern Iran using advanced data mining algorithms (Case study: Haraz watershed). Regional Planning Quarterly, 11(41), 165–182. [in Persian]. https://doi.org/10.30495/jzpm.2021.4246
  • Simsek, G. (2012). Urban river rehabilitation as an integrative part of sustainable urban water systems. Proceedings of the 48th International Society of City and Regional Planners Congress, Perm, Russia, 10–13. https://www.isocarp.net/data/case_studies/2239.pdf
  • Sobhe Amol. (2023). 50% reduction in the discharge of the Haraz River. Sobhe Amol. [in Persian]. https://sobheamol.ir
  • Soleimani, K. (2010). Flood hazard zoning in the Haraz Basin. Proceedings of the 1st Conference on Applied Water Resources Research, Kermanshah. [in Persian]. https://civilica.com/doc/112818
  • SWA Group. (2009). Buffalo Bayou Promenade, Houston, TX. American Society of Landscape Architectshttps://www.asla.org/2009awards/104.html
  • Tasnim News Agency. (2015). Images of the flood of the Great Haraz River in Amol. Tasnim News. [in Persian]. https://www.tasnimnews.com
  • Trivedi, P. R. (2004). Environmental impact assessment. APH Publishing Corporation. https://books.google.com/books?id=DAJ6PQAACAAJ
  • (2010). Shanghai Houtan Park. ArchDaily. https://www.archdaily.com/131747/shanghai-houtan-park-turenscape
  • (2010). Shanghai Houtan Park. Chinese Architectshttps://www.chinese-architects.com/en/turenscape-haidian-district-beijing/project/shanghai-houtan-park
  • Turner, M. G. (2005). Landscape ecology: what is the state of the science? Annu. Rev. Ecol. Evol. Syst., 36(1), 319–344. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.36.102003.152614
  • ‏Walker, B. H., Salt, D., & Reid, W. V. (2006). Resilience thinking: sustaining ecosystems and people in a changing world. Island Press. https://cir.nii.ac.jp/crid/1130282271507962752
  • Wang, D., Zhu, X., Xi, W., Pan, H., Yao, H., & Du, Y. (2023). Purification capacity of natural biofilms and their physiochemical and biological properties: a case study in the Jishan River, a heavily polluted river. Water Supply, 23(4), 1611–1625. https://doi.org/10.2166/ws.2023.078
  • (2024). Amol. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from [in Persian]. https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amol
  • (2024). Haraz River. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from. [in Persian]. https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haraz_River
  • Wu, C., & Nepal, S. K. (2010). Introduction to Outdoor Recreation: Providing and Managing Natural Resource Based Opportunities. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2010.07.016
  • Yi, Y., Yang, Z., & Zhang, S. (2010). Ecological influence of dam construction and river-lake connectivity on migration fish habitat in the Yangtze River basin, China. Procedia Environmental Sciences, 2, 1942–1954. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proenv.2010.10.207
  • Yifang Ecoscape. (2019). Weiliu Wetland Park, Xianyang, China. World Landscape Architecthttps://worldlandscapearchitect.com/weiliu-wetland-park-xianyang-china-yifang-ecoscape/?v=4f74d343f26b
  • Yu, K. (2015). A resilient landscape. Topos, 90, 84–89. https://www.turenscape.com/en/news/detail/330.html
  • Zargari, A., Salarijazi, M., Ghorbani, K., & Ahmad Dehghani, A. (2023). Effect of dam construction on changes in river’s environmental flow (case study: Gorganrood river in the south of the Caspian Sea). Applied Water Science, 13(11), 212. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-023-02011-3
  • Zevenbergen, C. (2016). Flood resilience. An edited collection of authored pieces comparing, contrasting, and integrating risk and resilience with an emphasis on ways to measure resilience, 1(1), 277.‏
  • Zhang, X., Fang, C., Wang, Y., Lou, X., Su, Y., & Huang, D. (2022). Review of Effects of Dam Construction on the Ecosystems of River Estuary and Nearby Marine Areas. Sustainability, 14(10), 5974. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14105974
Volume 1, Issue 2 - Serial Number 2
January 2025
Pages 269-298
  • Receive Date: 08 October 2024
  • Revise Date: 10 November 2024
  • Accept Date: 11 December 2024
  • First Publish Date: 19 January 2025
  • Publish Date: 19 January 2025