An Analysis of the Contexts and Consequences of the Dust Storm Crisis in Khuzestan Province (Environmental Security and Sustainable Development in Light of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Governance)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering, Shohadaye Hoveizeh Industrial Campus, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz

2 Assistant Professor Faculty of Law and Politics, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran

3 Associate Professor Faculty of Law and Politics, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran

Abstract

In current conditions, the sustainable governance of governments, particularly in the environmental domain, is facing multi-layered and increasing threats. Climate changes have intensified ecological crises in many countries, which simultaneously affect both security structures and development paths. Khuzestan Province in Iran has also become a prominent focus of the emergence and persistence of these challenges. The phenomenon of dust emission in this province is the consequence of the intertwining of climatic factors, incompatible human interventions, and sectoral and discontinuous governance of basic resources; a crisis whose dimensions have transcended the environment and have confronted the country's security and developmental balance with strategic consequences. Despite the extensive technical and climatic research, the lack of a comprehensive framework for explaining the root causes, sustaining processes, and multi-level consequences of this crisis in the governance sphere of the Islamic Republic is still evident. This research, based on a qualitative approach and data-driven methodology, seeks to answer this main question: what are the most important components of the formation and continuation of the fine dust crisis in Khuzestan Province and what consequences does this challenge have for ecological security and development patterns at local and national levels? The required data were collected through the analysis of policy documents and conducting semi-structured interviews with environmental experts and local managers and were analyzed in three stages of open, axial, and selective coding. The findings show that regional climate changes, uncoordinated management of water and soil resources, and unsustainable exploitation patterns have provided the main groundwork for the formation of the crisis. These factors, alongside institutional inefficiency, inter-sectoral conflict of interests, and weakness in environmental diplomacy, have created a self-reinforcing cycle of crisis. The main innovation of this research is the presentation of an integrated conceptual framework that displays the hierarchical connection between causes, processes, and consequences and provides the possibility for redefining the logic of governance across the entire crisis cycle—from prevention and containment to rehabilitation and stabilization. The proposed strategies are based on the axis of policy coordination, deepening participatory governance, activating environmental diplomacy, and strengthening the resilience of local communities.
 

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Main Subjects

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Geography and Development
Volume 24, Issue 84 - Serial Number 84
September 2026
Pages 251-278

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  • Receive Date: 09 September 2025
  • Revise Date: 06 October 2025
  • Accept Date: 11 October 2025

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