Symposium on the State of the Environment in Iran
What is the state of environmental change in Iran?
Seeking a holistic, data-driven view of this pressing question, the Iranian & Persian Gulf Studies Program at Oklahoma State University will host the Symposium on the State of the Environment in Iran from April 18-19, 2024. Bringing together a dozen scholars alongside IPGS faculty to present their research in diverse fields, the symposium will build a holistic view of the state of water, energy, climate, and agriculture, and the roles of economy, the media, and culture on environmental change in Iran. The first day of this two-day symposium includes a full day of in-person research presentations open to the public. Please see the schedule below and join us for open sessions on April 18th.
Schedule of Open Sessions
Thursday, April 18, 2024
Location: Wes Watkins Center, room 108
Please note: this schedule is tentative and subject to change.
9:00am Welcome Remarks
9:15am Session 1: Climate
Hydroclimatology of Iran based on 40-years PERSIANN-CDR high-resolution satellite observations
Dr. Soroosh Sorooshian, University of California, Irvine
What’s past is prologue, the future is ours to be written: Application of paleoclimate research in understanding Iran’s current environmental state
Dr. Arash Sharifi, University of Miami
Climate Change and Extreme Events in Iran: Drivers, Impacts, and Action Plans
Dr. Amin Dezfuli, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; University of Maryland, Baltimore County
10:30am Break
10:45am Session 2: Water Resources
Anthropogenic Drought: Compounding effects of human activities and climatic changes on Iran's water resources
Dr. Amir AghaKouchak, University of California, Irvine
The status of Iran’s groundwater resources
Dr. Ali Mirchi, Oklahoma State University
12:00pm Lunch break
2:00pm Session 3: Agricultural Management
Land Limits and the Illusion of Food Self-Sufficiency in Iran
Dr. Mohsen B. Mesgaran, University of California, Davis
Towards Wireless Sensor Network Adoption by Farmers in Iran
Dr. Fatemeh Taheri,KU Leuven, Belgium
Can Cooperative Extension Help Address Academia-Agricultural Sector Disconnection in Iran?
Dr. Amir Verdi, University of California, Riverside
3:30pm Break
3:45pm Session 4: People & their Environment
Reported impacts of environmental change on farming communities in Kerman, Iran
Dr. Maryam Abazeri, University of Miami
What’s in the air?
Dr. Armin Sorooshian, University of Arizona
Media Coverage of Iran’s Environmental News- Challenges and Obstacles
Sanam Mahoozi, City, University of London
Environmental management in a sanctioned state
Dr. Kaveh Madani, United Nations University Institute of Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH)
5:15pm Closing Remarks
