Road Maintenance Dilemmas of Flood-Prone Areas in Khuzestan

Introduction

Khuzestan Province, located in southwestern Iran, is a region of significant ecological importance, particularly due to its extensive wetland areas and critical road infrastructure. Some of the characteristics of the province are lowland terrain, rivers, mountains, rainfall, and proximity to Persian Gulf. This study focuses on the southern part of the province, where lands are subject to inundation, creating unique challenges for road maintenance and environmental conservation. We examine the delicate balance between preserving these ecologically sensitive areas and maintaining essential transportation networks.

Methodology

The data was retrieved mainly from DIVA-GIS and other online sources. ArcGIS pro 3.3.2 was used for the analysis. Some of the spatial analysis operations used were overlay, majority filtering, reclassification etc. Weights were assigned to variables. We calculated road maintenance costs using multi- factors that considers physical properties (slope, flood risk), anthropogenic factors (population density), and infrastructure elements (river crossings). A base cost of $10000 and $3000 was estimated for maintaining the primary and secondary roads, respectively. The total cost was estimated using the formula:

COST = [shape_length] * ([base_cost_per_km/1000] * Weights

Finally, excel was used to calculate and create graphs.Maps were also created to visualize our analyzed data.

Results

The total road maintenance cost for Iran was $1,132,833,923 and $10 094 per kilometer. The percentage of the total cost distribution among different provinces has been shown in table 1. Also, in comparison with the national cost, Khuzestan province has a total maintenance cost of $ 47 922 378 and an average cost per Km of 11 782,9 USD/Km.

The maps highlight the concentration of high-maintenance cost roads in the southern wetland areas. The map which focuses on these areas reveals a dense network of river and rail crossings, particularly in the vicinity of the Shadegan Wetland and the Karun River delta.

Conclusions

The analysis of road maintenance costs in Khuzestan Province highlights significant challenges posed by its unique geographical and environmental characteristics, particularly in flood-prone southern areas. High maintenance costs are driven by factors such as land subject to inundation, land cover, and a dense network of river and rail crossings. These factors underscore the tension between maintaining essential road networks and preserving ecologically sensitive areas.

The study of road maintenance in Khuzestan's flood-prone areas reveals a critical need for balanced and innovative approaches to road maintenance. It is crucial to integrate environmental considerations into road planning and maintenance strategies. Although increasing the maintenance cost is key, we believe there is also a great need for there to be climate-resilient infrastructure solutions tailored to Khuzestan's specific conditions.

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