Participatory Governance and Post-Flood Settlement Reconstruction in Iran: A Framework for Context-Sensitive Resilience in Design, Planning, and Institutional Development

vahid khosravi ¹ ( )
اصغر محمدمرادی ² ( مدیر گروه مرمت دانشگاه علم و صنعت ایران )
سیدباقر حسینی ³ ( دانشگاه علم و صنعت ایرانتهران، دانشگاه علم و صنعت ایران، دانشکده معماری و شهرسازی )
Bahram Saleh Sadeghpour ⁴ ( Associate Professor as a Member of Educational Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University, Tehran )

Submited date : 2025-04-19 Accepted date : 2025-05-05

Keywords: Participatory Governance, Flood-Resilient Reconstruction, Climate-Responsive Settlement Design, Context-Specific Resilience, Iran,

Abstract :

This study presents a critical examination and proposes an innovative framework to enhance community resilience in flood-affected settlements across Iran, with particular focus on three fundamental pillars: participatory governance mechanisms, nature-based design solutions, and contextually adaptive policies. The research emerges in response to the escalating frequency and severity of flood events in recent decades - a phenomenon exacerbated by climate change and inadequate urban management practices - which has rendered conventional reconstruction approaches increasingly obsolete. Employing a mixed-methods qualitative methodology, the investigation combines in-depth field analyses of three severely impacted regions (Poldokhtar, Sarpol-e Zahab, and Khorramabad) with comprehensive reviews of both national policy documents and international best practices. Primary data collection involved semi-structured interviews with local stakeholders, direct field observations, and systematic document analysis, while secondary research incorporated comparative case studies of successful global examples. The findings reveal significant shortcomings in Iran's current reconstruction paradigm, which predominantly follows top-down, centralized models that systematically exclude meaningful community participation. This exclusionary approach has perpetuated systemic vulnerabilities while eroding social capital and public trust in institutional recovery efforts. Conversely, international case studies demonstrate the measurable benefits of participatory governance structures and nature-sensitive design interventions in fostering sustainable resilience. The proposed tripartite framework addresses these deficiencies through: (1) institutional capacity building at the local level, establishing transparent mechanisms for genuine stakeholder engagement throughout all reconstruction phases; (2) implementation of flexible, nature-based design principles tailored to Iran's diverse climatic and cultural contexts; and (3) development of adaptive policy instruments that effectively bridge indigenous knowledge systems with global standards. Beyond offering practical guidelines for Iranian policymakers and urban planners, this research contributes a transferable model applicable to similar post-disaster contexts in developing nations. The framework's integrated, multidisciplinary approach represents a paradigm shift in disaster recovery management, emphasizing the synergistic potential of combining technical solutions with participatory governance structures and culturally sensitive policy development.

References:


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