Interactive effects of urbanization and climate change during the last decades (A case study: Isfahan city)

Authors : Mohsen ABBASNİA, Taghi TAVOUSİ, Mahmood KHOSRAVİ, Hüseyin TOROS

Pages : 74-81

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Publication Date : 2016-06-03

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Researchers are investigating a possible relation of climate change with anthropogenic behavior by studying trends in different climatic parameters. Nowadays, Isfahan city is experiencing growth of its urban areas due to a high rate of rural–urban migration and a population boom during the last decades. So in this study, various data base by emphasizing descriptive and interpretive approaches have been used for detecting the effects of anthropogenic behaviors such as urbanism and land cover change along with global warming conditions. The results of analyzing satellite images over study area shows that the percentage of agriculture and undeveloped areas had respectively decreased from 46.85% to 25.5% and 41.87% to 39.65% in favor of the extension of urban areas during the last three decades. In this field, population growth trends in Isfahan province within past years (1990 to 2013) shows increasing growth rate in cities rather than rural areas. Also, there is a positive trend at the 0.05 significance level in annual temperature by a rate of 0.06 °C per year at Isfahan station during the observation period (1980-2010). On the other hand, heart and respiratory moralities with warm temperatures trend at Isfahan city shows a positive correlation about 0.62 and 0.55 at the 0.05 significance level, respectively. Since these issues are directly related to global warming in coming decades, there should be more consideration towards all aspects of urban growth and its probable risk to public health in the mitigation and adaptation programs. Therefore, the results of this study can be useful for planners to make more informed strategic decisions.
Keywords : Global warming, urban climate, temperature trends, human health, Isfahan