• Energy Research

The main aim of the present study was to investigate the spatiotemporal trends of urban traffic accident hotspots during the COVID-19 pandemic. The severity index was used to determine high-risk areas, and the kernel density estimation method was used to identify risk of traffic accident hotspots. Accident data for the time period of April 2018 to November 2020 were obtained from the traffic police of Tabriz (Iran) and analyzed using GIS spatial and network analysis procedures. To evaluate the impacts of COVID-19, we used the seasonal variation in car accidents to analyze the change in the total number or urban traffic accidents. Eventually, the sustainability of urban transport was analyzed based on the demographic and land use data to identify the areas with a high number of accidents and its respective impacts for the local residences. Based on the results, the lockdown measures in response to the pandemic have led to significant reductions in road traffic accidents. From the perspective of urban planning, the spatiotemporal urban traffic accident analysis indicated that areas with high numbers of elderly people and children were most affected by car accidents. As we identified the hotspots of urban traffic accidents and evaluated their spatiotemporal correlation with land use and demography characteristics, we conclude that the results of this study can be used by urban managers and support decision making to improve the situation, so that fewer accidents will happen in the future.

AbstractIn many parts of the world, lake drying is caused by water management failures, while the phenomenon is exacerbated by climate change. Lake Urmia in Northern Iran is drying up at such an alarming rate that it is considered to be a dying lake, which has dire consequences for the whole region. While salinization caused by a dying lake is well understood and known to influence the local and regional food production, other potential impacts by dying lakes are as yet unknown. The food production in the Urmia region is predominantly regional and relies on local water sources. To explore the current and projected impacts of the dying lake on food production, we investigated changes in the climatic conditions, land use, and land degradation for the period 1990–2020. We examined the environmental impacts of lake drought on food production using an integrated scenario-based geoinformation framework. The results show that the lake drought has significantly affected and reduced food production over the past three decades. Based on a combination of cellular automaton and Markov modeling, we project the food production for the next 30 years and predict it will reduce further. The results of this study emphasize the critical environmental impacts of the Urmia Lake drought on food production in the region. We hope that the results will encourage authorities and environmental planners to counteract these issues and take steps to support food production. As our proposed integrated geoinformation approach considers both the extensive impacts of global climate change and the factors associated with dying lakes, we consider it to be suitable to investigate the relationships between environmental degradation and scenario-based food production in other regions with dying lakes around the world.

A handmade carpet is one of the most well-known handcrafts around the world. Iranian handmade carpets are known as luxury products in domestic and international markets due to their strength and product value. The main objective of this research is to apply a geographical information system (GIS)-based, spatially-explicit approach to assess the sustainability of handmade carpet production in the East Azerbaijan Province of Iran, which is internationally famous for the diversity and quality of its handmade carpets. To achieve this goal, we employed 23 criteria in four main clusters: population characteristics, education status, employment status, and business activities related to the carpet industry. In order to determine the significance of each criterion, an integrated approach of fuzzy and network analysis processes was applied. Accordingly, the GIS aggregation function was employed to map and identify the areas that are suitable and of high potential for handmade carpet production. The results indicate that there is a very high potential for handmade carpet production in some areas of Tabriz, Osku, Marageh, Heris, and Meyaneh counties. However, high sustainability also extends to some areas in Marand, Bonab, and Kalaybar counties. The obtained maps present the potential of each city and village for handmade carpet production. The research also aims to evaluate and suggest relevant policies and practices to overcome the identified challenges in order to promote, develop, and preserve the handmade carpet sector. The results of this research are of great importance for different stakeholders in the handmade production and for decision makers and authorities in the East Azerbaijan Province. The results can be used to determine the potential of each area for handmade carpet production and to highlight potential challenges. This research also presents a new approach for sustainability assessments in studies on handcrafts and, in particular, carpets.