Interdisciplinary Studies in the Humanities

Abstract Technological civilization, despite its remarkable advancements, has brought about widespread environmental, social, and economic crises. Climate change, biodiversity loss, extensive pollution, and dependence on fossil resources have jeopardized planetary sustainability and revealed the inefficiency of this civilization in meeting sustainable human needs. In response to these challenges, ecological civilization emerges as a necessary alternative, grounded in principles such as environmental sustainability, social justice, circular economy, and the coexistence of humans and nature. This civilization emphasizes responsible resource management, the adoption of sustainable technologies, reduction of consumerism, and the development of supportive policies. Transitioning to an ecological civilization requires not only a comprehensive understanding of its nature but also fundamental changes in production and consumption patterns, environmental policymaking, and public education. Reforming the economic system, replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy, supporting sustainable agriculture, and developing ecological cities are among the key strategies for this transformation. However, this transition faces challenges such as resistance from existing economic systems, the high costs of sustainable technologies, and cultural barriers. Achieving ecological civilization necessitates global cooperation, changes in development policies, and the adoption of sustainable lifestyles. Humanity, as the current sole steward of this planet, must pursue the path of ecological civilization not only to address current crises but also as an imperative to ensure its own survival and that of natural ecosystems in the future. The sooner the preparations for this journey are made, the more likely it is that the destination will be reached with greater speed and ease.

Abstract Climate change stands as one of the most critical environmental challenges of our time, with a global consensus on its significance. The complexity and multidimensional nature of this issue have led not only the natural sciences but also the humanities to engage with it. In other words, climate change can be regarded as one of the most prominent interdisciplinary subjects, requiring comprehensive analysis from the perspectives of various academic disciplines. Among the branches of the humanities, social sciences in general and communication studies in particular hold significant potential to contribute meaningfully to this discourse. The central question of this research is how communication studies can contribute to addressing the challenge of climate change. This study first examines the nature of climate change, its dimensions, and specifically climate justice. Subsequently, the role of communication and media in the context of climate change is discussed. A review of existing research in this field indicates that, in most developed countries, communication and media are widely recognized as key factors in both practical and academic engagements with climate change. However, in Iranian society, there has been no substantial attention to the relationship between media/communication and climate change at any level. Therefore, it is imperative to integrate climate communication into both academic research and practical applications.

Abstract Climate change affects many aspects of human life, such as the economy, environment and society. Although its consequences are invisible for the public in short term, they are often informed about the negative aspects of climate change through the media. In other words, the media dedicate and cover news in order to make people aware about the impact of climate change. Number of researches has been conducted on the way the media frame and cover the climatic issues in many countries, but there is no such at present to show how this particular is being covered in the Iranian media. This paper is the first academic research to examine the coverage of climate change in the Iranian press. We have analyzed 388 climate stories published on 15 well-known national newspapers by using SPSS software and applying the quantitative content analysis method to understand how these newspapers could present climate stories. Findings show that the Iranian press often used “Conflict” and “Environmental Consequences” frames to illustrate climate change issues, but “Scientific Uncertainty” and “Current Weather” were rarely mentioned. Moreover, these newspapers relied mainly on “Experts” as sources more than the other sources to present climate stories.

Abstract The subject of this study concerns Urmia Lake which is one of the most valuable water habitats in Iran  and investigation of crisis in the drop n of water level, significant decrease in the lake’s surface area and increase in its salinity.. In order to have better understanding of the processes that affect the lake's water level fluctuations and assess the contributions of every responsible parameter, System water consumption was designed. System water consumption was designed in The Lake Basin in the Vensim and the effects of each variable on the water level of the lake were evaluated using a set of different scenarios The findings suggest that in comparison to other variables, the operation of dams (26%) as well as an increase of water requirement (16%) by variables have played a role in reducing the input to the lake. Climate variables had an effect of 16% within the time span of 1999-2014. Although Hydrograph indicates the aquifer deterioration in some of them, the entrance to the lake water budget is negligible