Many cities across Iran are currently facing critical challenges, including water scarcity, energy imbalances, damages from natural disasters, and the far-reaching effects of climate change. Over the past decade, notable crises have included devastating floods in provinces such as Lorestan, Golestan, Tehran, and Sistan and Baluchestan; alarming rates of land subsidence in the central plateau; widespread electricity shortage during the summer and gas deficit in the winter; escalating social tensions over water access; and an increase in the frequency and intensity of dust storms.
The ability of a city to absorb, recover from, and adapt to such pressures—while minimizing damage and returning to normalcy—depends on its resilience in the face of these crises. To address this issue, a comprehensive urban resilience program is vital. Such a program should focus on strengthening infrastructure, enhancing disaster preparedness, improving recovery processes, and strengthening social cohesion.

Recognizing the importance of resilience, the Iran National Science Foundation (INSF) has prioritized the evaluation and enhancement of urban resilience to address water stress, energy imbalances, natural hazards, and the impacts of climate change as part of its "Comprehensive Research Programs" aligned with policy initiatives. Accordingly, this call is defined under the "Comprehensive Urban Resilience Program against Natural Hazards, Climate Change, Water, and Energy Stresses with a Systems Approach and Stakeholder Engagement."
The mission of developing the conceptual framework for the Comprehensive Urban Resilience Program was assigned in December 2022 to the "System Thinking Committee," composed of experts in systems engineering, water resource management, energy systems, environmental science, risk management, and economics.

The implementation of the Comprehensive Urban Resilience Program aims to achieve the following functional objectives for urban systems:

• Enhancing urban resilience against water stress, energy imbalances, natural hazards, and the impacts of climate change.
• Preserving the sustainability of urban resources and ecosystems.
• Ensuring adequate and suitable housing.
• Providing essential urban services for citizens.
• Ensuring economic and social safety and security

Cities, as complex socio-economic systems, are composed of numerous interconnected components. Moreover, as dynamic systems, cities are constantly evolving. Given the interdependencies among urban components and the multifaceted dimensions of urban resilience, assessing resilience and subsequently developing and implementing a resilience enhancement program requires a comprehensive and systemic approach.
The "System Thinking Committee" of the Iran National Science Foundation (INSF) has proposed utilizing the Urban System Abstraction Hierarchy (USAH) modeling framework as the foundation for creating and operationalizing an integrated urban resilience system. This framework is instrumental in identifying and analyzing interdependencies among various urban system components and understanding how crises and stresses impact their functionality. The USAH framework decomposes the urban system into five interconnected layers:

1- Functional Objectives of a City
They encompass the activities and services that define the city’s identity, economy, and the well-being of its residents. Key aspects include economic activities, administrative functions, cultural and social services, transportation and communication, and fostering community identity and social cohesion.

2- Values Determining Urban Functionality
These values measure whether a city is effectively achieving its functional objectives. Key determinants include economic growth, employment opportunities, social equity, public health and safety, environmental quality (air, water, soil), community cohesion, governance transparency and accountability, and access to welfare services.

3- City Functional Systems
These are the systems and activities that enable a city to achieve its functional objectives and desired outcomes. Core functional systems include infrastructure, structures, economic activities, social services, environmental management, and governance and urban policymaking.

4- Key Components of City Functional Systems:
Core urban functional systems can be divided into measurable components, both quantitatively and qualitatively. For example, the infrastructure subsystem can include transportation, water, energy, telecommunications, and more.
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5- Subcomponents of City Functional Systems:
The 35 components can be further subdivided into measurable subcomponents that assess urban resilience independently. For instance, the resilience of residential buildings can be categorized into low-rise buildings in older areas, low-rise buildings in new developments, mid-rise buildings, and high-rise structures.
Combining these five layers creates a complex network of interactions among all components of the urban resilience system. Using complex network analysis methods, vulnerable sections of this network can be identified. Finally, by applying investment scenarios and policy measures, the potential outcomes of actions aimed at enhancing urban resilience can be evaluated and prioritized in advance.​​​​​​​

The Comprehensive Urban Resilience Program consists of 10 projects, with its first phase comprising the following four projects. These initiatives aim to develop and operationalize an urban resilience system based on the USAH model and leveraging network analysis techniques.
1- Project 00
Practical implementation of a benchmark urban resilience model by employing the USAH model in the Kish Island.
2- Project 01
Scrutinizing the urban resilience system model and its modules, and preparing a comprehensive guideline for developing resilience indicators.
3- Project 02
Developing a user-friendly urban resilience system database.
4- Project 03
Piloting the urban resilience model in three selected cities (Mashhad, Gorgan, and Bam).