Drought is one of the major threats among natural hazards to people’ s livelihoods and socio-economic development. In other words, Drought events and their consequences pose a considerable problem for governments, business and individuals. Some regions such as Fars province are more prone to Drought disasters and each region differs in its capacity to effectively prepare for and respond to the effects of Drought. Therefore, the number of people affected by Drought and the types of impacts experienced will be different by region. The risk associated with Drought for any region is a product of the exposure to the natural hazard and the Vulnerability of the society to the event. Consequently, planners and policy makers in Drought prone region should conduct risk assessment. Therefore, the aim of this study is to measure ex-ante and ex-post Drought Vulnerability of farmers in Bakhtegan basin. A sample of 276 farmers was selected for interview and collection of necessary farm level data for two years. The results also indicated that if crops are the sole income source and have no consumption smoothing capability at all, over 37% of sampled farmers are vulnerable to Drought. But 28. 62% of sampled farmers would be vulnerable if they can rely on both crops and off-farm income. Therefore, it can be concluded that the inclusion of off-farm earnings in the income measure, reduces the number of vulnerable households. It is important to recognize that based on the results obtained from econometric method, there are four groups of farmers: 1) ex-ante vulnerable and ex-post vulnerable, 2) ex-ante resilient and ex-post vulnerable, 3) ex-ante vulnerable and ex-post resilient, 4) ex-ante resilient and ex-post resilient. The findings of this study can help policy makers to lessen farmers’ Vulnerability to Drought by promoting planning and the adoption of appropriate risk management strategies.

Drought is one of the natural phenomena that causes a lot of damage to human life and natural ecosystems. In general, Drought is a lack of rainfall compared to normal or what is expected, when it is longer than a season or a period of time and is insufficient to meet the needs. Drought causes damage to the agricultural sector. The Vulnerability of the agricultural sector in each region depends on three factors: the degree of Drought exposure, the degree of sensitivity to Drought and the capacity to adapt to Drought. A review of previous studies indicates the diversity of indicators and methods used to assess Vulnerability, which indicates the importance of the issue. Institutions responsible for agricultural management can only manage Drought properly if they have the appropriate tools to measure the Vulnerability of the agricultural sector to Drought. Therefore, the first step in Drought studies is to identify vulnerable areas and assess the Vulnerability of areas. Vulnerability measurement in geographical dimensions and measurement of indicators by main Vulnerability components have received less attention. Based on this, the present study has investigated Drought Vulnerability in Golestan by scientific method and by combining the three mentioned components and has compared the exposure situation, sensitivity level and level of Drought adaptation capacity among the cities of Golestan province. Golestan province as one of the important agricultural hubs is highly dependent on the amount of annual rainfall. Due to fluctuations in rainfall and Drought in some parts of the province, there have been 4 outbreaks and as a result, 7-12 and 10 days of Drought have occurred, which has caused severe damage to the livelihood of farming families. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to compare Drought Vulnerability among cities in Golestan province by three components (exposure, sensitivity and adaptation). First, by reviewing the sources, the effective indicators on Drought Vulnerability are identified separately by the three components and judged by experts (faculty members of water engineering, agriculture and plant breeding, agricultural extension and education, and agricultural economics and experts of water engineers). 55 appropriate indicators in three main dimensions of Vulnerability, namely: a) exposure (14 indicators), b) sensitivity (26 indicators) and c) compatibility (17 indicators) were developed and data related to the indicators were collected. The weights of the indices were extracted by Shannon entropy model and by the TOPSIS method the combined index was compiled separately into three Vulnerability components. The final result of the combined index was combined with the GIS layers of the cities of Golestan province, and the level of Vulnerability of the cities was determined separately for the desired components. The results showed that in terms of exposure to Bandar-e-Gaz, Bandar-e-Turkmen and Aq Qala are in the first to third ranks, respectively, and are exposed to Drought. Azadshahr, Galikesh and Bandar-e-Turkmen counties are in the first to third ranks with the highest sensitivity to Drought, respectively. The cities of Gomishan, Galikesh and Maravah Tappeh are the most adapted to Drought, respectively. Finally, the results of calculating the total Vulnerability index showed that the cities of Marwah Tappeh and Bandar-e-Turkmen are the most vulnerable areas to Drought in Golestan province. The findings of this study showed that rainy areas can be more exposed to Drought at the same time than other areas and there is no direct relationship between rainfall and Drought exposure. This confirms the findings of other studies such as Kramker et al. And O'Brien et al. On the other hand, the findings of this study showed that there is no direct relationship between rainfall and Vulnerability to Drought and the most  rainy areas of a region at the same time can be the most vulnerable to Drought. This is in line with the findings of Tanzler et al. And Salvati et al. On the relationship between rainfall and Drought Vulnerability. Due to the fact that the rainy areas of this province are more exposed to Drought than other areas and farmers in these areas have shown a higher degree of sensitivity to Drought and are more vulnerable to Drought than other areas, it is recommended Measures should be taken to reduce the sensitivity and increase the adaptation capacity of farmers in these areas.

The effects of ongoing climate change on water availability in Iran and its impact on the shortage of surface water and ground water resources have resulted in Vulnerability of farm household and limited the sustainability of their livelihood. Despite its importance, study of Drought Vulnerability is difficult due to its multi-dimensional and dynamic nature. However, understanding Drought Vulnerability is a crucial step towards Drought mitigation. Therefore, the aim of this research was to explore the nature of Drought Vulnerability at the household level using a multi case study design. PRA technique was used to classify farm households based on their degree of Drought Vulnerability to three groups; less-vulnerable, more vulnerable- resource poor and finally more vulnerable- non-resource poor farm households in the two purposefully selected villages in Fars province. The findings revealed that the Drought impact is not homogenous and a spectrum of farm households' Drought Vulnerability was observed. It was concluded that a set of Drought dependent and independent factors determine the household Vulnerability to Drought. Finally, a model of more vulnerable farm household’s Vulnerability was developed and recommendations are presented based on reseach findings to mitigate Drought and manage Drought knowlegde.

The current Drought in Esfahan Township and damages incurred on agricultural sector clearly indicate that Vulnerability among farmers is increasing. However, limited attention has been paid to Drought mitigation and preparedness across the affected area. Therefore, it is imperative to study vulnerable group which is the bench mark in Drought risk management the predictors of Vulnerability among farmers in Isfahan Township. In this study used survey research design and data was collected from 275 wheat farmers using multistage stratified sampling through questionnaire and personal interview with farmers whom has experienced Drought. Farmers' Vulnerability was determined using Mebar & Valdez (2005). Results revealed that farmers in Jarghooyeh Olya had the highest Vulnerability (3.77) and farmers in Bon Rood had the lowest Vulnerability (3.32). Results of this study have implications for policy makers in distributing resources to farmers with high Vulnerability. Innovation of this paper is to quantify the Vulnerability of rural communities using formula and the ranking these communities based on the Vulnerability. Thus Vulnerability assessment could be basic to the allocation of resources and funds.

During the past decade, natural hazards and disasters such as Drought has impacted human lives. Rural households in Iran have been the victims of natural disasters in general and Drought in particular causing farmers becomes more vulnerable. Although Vulnerability is considered a multidimensional phenomenon, most climate change scholars consider Vulnerability as a first step in Drought mitigation plans. Thus, the purpose of this descriptive study was to determine Vulnerability of farmer household towards Drought. Using stratified random sampling, 172 households participated in this study. A researcher-made questionnaire weas used to collect required data. The validity and reliability of the instrument was confirmed through faculty members in Agricultural Extension Department and using test-retest respectively. Vulnerability was assessed using a formula suggested by Deressa et al. Results revealed that household Vulnerability can be classified into three categories: low, medium, and high. Household Vulnerability based on households’ village location (14 villages) showed that Kahrare Moghoofe village had the highest Vulnerability across the studied area. Moreover, Moradabad village remained the lowest vulnerable among other villages. Result of this study has implications for Drought mitigation plans in Kermanshah Province. In addition, limited resource allocations should be more focused on vulnerable groups.

Drought is one of the natural disasters related to climate and one of the most important threats to human survival leading to adverse effects on social, economic, and environmental sustainability. In this study, it has been tried to evaluate the changes in reliability, resilience, and Vulnerability of the Chalous Watershed under the influence of Drought in the period of 1982-2017. In this vein, rainfall data of nine stations were interpolated using invers distance squared method to the whole watershed. The SPI Drought index was then determined through determining the mean and standard deviation of the data. To calculate Rel, Res and Vul indices, the mean value of SPI Index was used. By calculating the geometric mean value of these indicators, the general health status of the watershed was determined and quantified. The results showed that the SPI Index in this period varied between -1.43 and 2.25. Drought index had a similar pattern to that of rainfall with an increasing trend at the end of the period. The watershed health assessment also showed that the indicators of reliability, resilience, and Vulnerability were found 0.5, from 0.23 to 0.62 and from 0.06 to 1, respectively. The geometric mean of these indices was also ranged between 0.19 and 0.58. The overall health condition of the Chalous Watershed based on the dynamics of Drought index with a mean index of 0.45 was classified as “moderate”. The findings of the current research will play an important role in explaining the methods of adaptive management of the watershed.

Identification and analysis of farmers’ Vulnerability associated with their risk aversion degree is one of the necessary requirements for planning and reducing impacts of Drought in Iran. So, this study was investigated three risk Vulnerability parameters (economic, social and technical) among wheat farmers categorized in accordance with their risk aversion degree in the Mashhad County (Iran) between Drought years of 2009-2011. Vulnerability parameters were determined by Delphi technique. For measuring Vulnerability and risk aversion degree, formula of Me-Bar and Valdes and method of Safety First Rule were applied respectively. Findings revealed that in social Vulnerability indicators; education level, collaboratively farming activities and dependency on government and in technical Vulnerability; irrigation method, cultivation method and type of cultivation; risk averse farmers have had the highest Vulnerability level under Drought conditions. While respecting economic Vulnerability, risk neutral farmers (in insuring for crops, sale prices of crops and the type of land ownership), have had the highest Vulnerability level.

According to the latest census of Iran, between 43 and 45 percent of buildings are classified as masonry buildings, of which about one percent are historical-cultural buildings. Protecting these buildings against earthquakes is necessary and obligatory for future generations. To achieve this, analyzing and investigating the building is crucial to provide necessary and appropriate solutions to improve its performance level. The present study investigates the Sadaqiyani house located in the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning of the Islamic Arts University of Tabriz. First, by using non-destructive tests, including an in-situ test (double flat jack), the average compressive strength and the modulus of elasticity were obtained at 2.47 MPa and 3735 MPa respectively. Then utilizing 3Muri Software and the equivalent frame method, this building was modeled in three dimensions and subjected to incremental modal pushover analysis. This research aims to evaluate the current state of the mentioned building despite structural interventions. The results of the pushover analysis show that the safety index is greater than one in the Y direction in all three performance levels (NC, SD, DL). However, the safety index in the X direction falls below one. In addition, the maximum shear strength in the Y direction is roughly 1.5 times of X direction. These findings suggest satisfactory performance in the Y direction while the X-direction exhibits Vulnerability, necessitating strengthening measures.

Drought is a complex and recurring socio-natural hazard that is increasing in frequency, intensity, and duration due to climate change. Agriculture, one of the most important economic sectors of the country and a key sector for meeting the food needs of the growing population as well as being the primary source of income and livelihood for villagers, is strongly impacted by this costly climate risk and its gradual consequences. Therefore, the agricultural development process and the sustainable livelihood of those dependent on this sector require identifying and evaluating the level of Vulnerability to such natural hazards. The aim of this applied research study was to assess the Vulnerability of farmers in Fars province to Drought, focusing on three elements: exposure, livelihood sensitivity, and adaptability. For this purpose, 420 farmers were interviewed using a multi-stage cluster random sampling technique. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by professors in agricultural development and extension, and its reliability was confirmed through a pilot study and Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Meteorological data and the annual precipitation index (SIAP) were used to estimate exposure. The results showed that the average normal exposure, livelihood sensitivity, and adaptability of the farmers were 0.575, 0.488, and 0.535 out of 1, respectively. The Climatic Vulnerability Index (CVI) was estimated at 0.514 out of 1 (with a range of 0.2 to 0.86), which is somewhat higher than the average. Additionally, based on multi-media cluster analysis, the respondents were categorized into three Vulnerability groups: low (about 54%), medium (27%), and high (over 19%). The average CVI for these groups was 0.42, 0.56, and 0.68, respectively. The results of the spatial analysis showed that the CVI ranged from 0.310 in Lamerd to 0.640 in Marvdasht. The research concluded that to reduce farmers' Vulnerability to Drought, a combination of educational, support, and management measures should be implemented. Additionally, considering regional differences and the specific characteristics of each area is crucial in planning programs and policies. The use of spatial data and more accurate analyses can help identify vulnerable areas.