Water Dilemma in Isfahan and International Tourists' Effect on It
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Water Dilemma in Isfahan and International Tourists’ effect on it By: Sheyma Karimi Supervisor: Saeid Abbasian Master’s dissertation 15 credits Södertörn University | School of Social Science Abstract Tourism is one of the leading industries, in terms of international trading between countries. In addition to receipts received at destinations, international tourism has also generated US$211 billion in exports through international passenger transport services. The study is conducted in Isfahan, a city in center of Iran. The city is unique in its cultural heritage and archeology. It is one of Iran's oldest cities at more than 1,500 years of age. An important cultural and commercial center, Isfahan is Iran's third largest metropolitan area. Isfahan experiences an arid climate, like the rest of the Iranian plateau with low rainfall. Isfahan has a high capacity to attract international tourists to provide a better understanding of Iran’s history, culture, and natural environment to the world. Zayandeh Rud which means “life-giving River” is the largest Iranian plateau and the most important surface water in Isfahan. It starts from Zagros Mountains and ends in the Gavkhouni Swamp, a seasonal salt lake in the southeast of Isfahan. The catchment area has been affected by two drought periods within the last 15 years. Decreasing surface and groundwater availability has been accompanied by an increase in water withdrawal for irrigation, domestic uses, industry, and water transfers to neighboring provinces. This has led to severe ecological and social consequences. This study identifies the potentials of Isfahan in attracting international tourists and also evaluate the water crisis that the city faces. The research is based on qualitative method. The primary data is gathered through face to face and phone interviews and questionnaires. The results show some finding solutions to water crisis in Isfahan and some suggestions for improving tourism industry in the city. Keywords: Tourism Industry, International Tourists, Water Scarcity, Water Management, Climate Change i Acknowledgments I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisor, Saeid Abbasian for his intelligent guidance and helpful and essential advices and comments throughout the time I have been working on my thesis. I would like also thank Christian Widholm for his valuable guidance on the literature review. I would like also to thank the participants who contribute to the quality of this research. I would like also thank to my friend Paria for her encouragement and insights. Finally I would like to appreciate my loved ones. I would specially thanks my husband and my dear son for their support, love and bearing me during this whole while, my dear brother for his support and my mother and my father for their endless love and affection. Carrying on my study has never been possible without the help of one by one of them. ii Abbreviations and Glossary WANA An abbreviation for "West Asia and North Africa" region WDM An abbreviation for "Water Demand Management" IWRM An abbreviation for "Integrated Water Resources Management" Evapotranspiration Refers to the process by which water is transferred from the land to the atmosphere by evaporation from the soil and other surfaces and by transpiration from plants. Evaporation is a type of vaporization that occurs on the surface of a liquid as it changes into the gas phase. Precipitation Refers to any or all of the forms of water particles, whether liquid or solid, that fall from the atmosphere (e.g. rain or snow). Drought is a recurrent feature of climate that is characterized by temporary water shortages relative to normal supply, over an extended period of time – a season, a year, or several years. Water Scarcity Refers to the relative shortage of water in a water supply system that may lead to restrictions on consumption. Desertification means land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities. iii Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................................ i Acknowledgments........................................................................................................................... ii Abbreviations and Glossary ........................................................................................................... iii List of Tables ................................................................................................................................ vii List of Figures .............................................................................................................................. viii Introduction ....................................................................................................................1 Background ..........................................................................................................................1 Isfahan city and its international tourism .............................................................................2 1.2.1 Isfahan City Attractions ...........................................................................................3 Problem Statement ...............................................................................................................3 Research questions ...............................................................................................................5 Research objectives ..............................................................................................................5 Research limitations: ............................................................................................................6 Research Outline ..................................................................................................................6 Research Method ............................................................................................................7 Research Purpose .................................................................................................................7 2.1.1 Exploratory research ................................................................................................7 2.1.2 Descriptive research .................................................................................................7 2.1.3 Explanatory research ................................................................................................7 Research Approach ..............................................................................................................8 2.2.1 Deductive versus inductive Research ......................................................................8 2.2.2 Qualitative versus Quantitative Research ................................................................9 iv 2.2.3 The Chosen Method For this thesis .......................................................................11 Qualitative data collection methods ...................................................................................11 Sampling ............................................................................................................................12 Qualitative Data analysis: ..................................................................................................13 Reliability and Validity ......................................................................................................13 Ethical issues ......................................................................................................................14 Literature Review .........................................................................................................16 Studies on tourism destinations with water crisis and their finding solutions ...................16 Water crisis in Iran and Isfahan .........................................................................................27 Tourism and Water ............................................................................................................29 Tourism Potential of Isfahan ..............................................................................................30 Water management in Isfahan ...........................................................................................32 Tourism-water stakeholders in Isfahan ..............................................................................35 Summary ............................................................................................................................37 Empirical Results .........................................................................................................38 Analysis of Local Questionnaires ......................................................................................38 4.1.1 Demographics ........................................................................................................38 4.1.2 Gender distribution ................................................................................................38 4.1.3 Age distribution of the interviewees ......................................................................38 4.1.4 Level of education distribution of the local participants .......................................39 4.1.5 Analysis of Citizens’ Responses to Water Problem questions in Isfahan .............39 4.1.6 Analysis of Citizens’ Answers to Questions related to International