Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 1Assistant Professor, Research Center for Environment and Sustainable Development, RCESD, Department of Environment, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
2 M.Sc. in financial mathematics, Department of Statistics, Mathematics, and Computer, Allameh Tabatabai University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Qanats, as historic hydraulic structures and indigenous climate change adaptation strategies reliant on groundwater resources, demonstrate the vital role of aquifers in water storage and enhancing climate resilience, particularly against natural hazards like floods. This research examines the trajectory of legal frameworks addressing climate-induced natural disasters in developing countries, emphasizing indigenous capacities such as qanat systems and artificial aquifer recharge. Utilizing qualitative content analysis within Ostrom''s Social-Ecological Systems (SES) framework, data were compiled from the global climate change law database, encompassing officially published legal documents from 1957 to 2021. Findings reveal increased legislative attention to climate risk management in recent decades, notably in Africa and countries including Bolivia, Mexico, and the Philippines. Analysis of the three SES systems shows the Resource system consistently dominated legislation, with the "Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF)" subsystem receiving the highest focus; within the Actor system, Transportation garnered the most attention, while the National Economy was predominant within the Governance system. Identified laws extend beyond crisis management to establish critical frameworks for local and international cooperation, exemplified by Ethiopia, India, and Tuvalu establishing dedicated funds for natural disaster prevention, preparedness, or compensation, and by Madagascar and Cambodia integrating national disaster risk management strategies into development plans. The expansion of such legal mechanisms is expected to strengthen the adaptive capacity of developing nations facing climate challenges. Consequently, qanats, as an environmentally sustainable adaptation strategy and an exemplary Iranian indigenous model, hold significant potential for enhancing climate resilience.
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