Prof. Dr. Parviz Kardavani

(Exemplary Professor of the Tehran University 1998 (1377) & 2001 (1380), “Exemplary Researcher” of the Tehran University 2006 (1385), “National Permanent Scientific Figure 2005 (1384))

A Summary of Educational Situation & Scientific Activities

Born in 1931 (1310 according to the Iranian calendar) in Garmsar (Iran), he completed his elementary and high school education in this city and in Tehran and continued his higher education in Germany, where he received his Ph.D in agricultural science (Desert Agriculture). For his dissertation he transferred about one ton of desert soil (salt field) from Iran to Germany and analyzed it during 4 years.

He obtained his Ph.D in 1966 (1345), as the best student of agriculture in Germany in that year and received numerous awards on the occasion from the relevant authorities in Germany and Iran. In the same year he returned to Iran, where he became the first faculty member of the newly founded scientific board at Urumieh University. On 19/03/1969 (28/12/1347) he moved to the Department of Geography at Tehran University.

Positions by Preserving the Educational Duties:

General Manager of the Office of Educational Research at Tehran University (1966-1975) (1345-54). Founder and Director of the Iranian Desert Research Centre affiliated to Tehran University (1975-79) (1354-58).

Publications and Scientific Activities:

22 books and dozens of scientific articles published in the Persian, German and English languages in quality science journals at home and abroad. More than one hundred lectures at reliable scientific associations at home and abroad. Membership at several national and international scientific associations such as, the Middle East Water Network, Greenpeace (Green Front) board of trustees and the Asian Studies Foundation. Head of the Committee against Desertification of Iran Environmental Specialists Society. Advisor on more than two hundred M.Sc. thesis and 17 Ph.D dissertations. Executor of several research projects (identification of Lout Desert, identification of the natural, economical and social situation of rural desert regions).

After establishing the Iranian Desert and Kawirs Research Centre, he announced at all the universities of the country that every M.Sc. or Ph.D student, who chose to write his thesis on one of the subjects or problems of the desert regions of the country, would be provided with everything necessary for his researches under the condition, that his advisor would also accompany him to the desert regions. As a result, dozens of M.Sc. and Ph.D students went to the desert regions and wrote their thesis about these regions. Among them were also several medical and dentistry students.


Restoration of the Caravansaries of Shah Abbas:

For their researches of the desert regions, the professors and students had to live in the urban areas (Kashan Station or Semnan Station, etc.). Spending the daytime at the desert, they intended to exit these regions as soon as possible and reach their residential places before sunset because they feared problems in the nighttime, due to the darkness. As this circumstance represented a disadvantage for their researches, Dr. Kardavani decided to repair the caravansaries belonging to Shah Abbas, in the desert regions as far as possible and thus establish room for the professors and the students, laboratories, collections of stones, soil, plants and animals, etc. and other needed installations such as restaurants, bathrooms, etc. Before the Islamic Revolution, 3 caravansaries were repaired. Maranjab Caravansary located 50 kilometres north of Aran and Bidgol and south east of Salty Desert (Isfahan Province), Hajib Caravansary located 30 kilometres south of Bouin Zahra (Ghazvin Province) and about 70 kilometres north of Saveh and Dehnamak Carvansary located between Garmsar and Semnan.

Dr. Kardavani believed that if the geography students did not observe the geographical elements and geographical regions closely, they would never become geographers (professors or geographical researchers). During the forty decades of his services at the different universities, he therefore tried to get the students of each course acquainted with the different regions of their country. For this purpose, he at first organized scientific field trips and later, from 1992 (1371) on, after the disintegration of the U.S.S.R., he has let several field trips for B.Sc. and Ph.D course students of the Tehran University (each time about 20 persons) to some foreign countries (by equipping the bus of the university with cooker and kitchen and placing all the needed materials and instruments for several days of journey through foreign countries). The first journey took place in 1992 (1371). It took 32 days and started in Tehran. From there they went through Turkey, Bulgaria, Moldavia, Ukraine, Moscow, Saint Petersburg (previous Leningrad) and then returned from Moscow, Astrakhan and through the former countries of the Soviet Republic located in the west of the Caspian Sea (Calmic), Dagestan and Azerbaijan. Finally they entered Iran by crossing the border in Astara (Gilan Province), finishing a journey of about thirteen thousand kilometres. Later a book about the observations and studies of this field trip was printed and published. (Please refer to the list of books of Dr. Kardavani).
Dr. Kardavani gave hundreds of interviews to the media (press, radio, television and via satellite). The Television of the Islamic Republic of Iran did several interviews with him for some, nationally well known television programs like Didar Ba Farzandan (Visiting the Children), Tolloe Mah (Moon Rise), Shabe Khoda Sebedi (The Night of God is White) and Farhang Radio produced an one-hour tape about the life and the scientific activities of Dr. Kardavani.

Honors:

participation in the establishment of the Ministry of Sciences and the Rezaieh (Urumieh) Faculty of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry
founder of the Iranian Desert and Kawirs Research Centre (International Symbiosis with Desert Centre)
five years research in Lout Desert (Iran) and the new discoveries of its unique specialties in the world (1968-1972) (1347-51)
attaining the second rank of scientific efficiency among the 1988 (1367) scientific board members of Tehran University and the affiliated institutes during the academic years from 1994 up to 1997 (1373-76)
appointed as the “Exemplary Professor” of Tehran University in 1998 (1377), on which occasion he was encouraged and appreciated by the authorities of the university and the ministers of the Ministry of Science and Culture and Islamic Guidance
appointed as distinguished personality and cultural character of his native province (Semnan) in 1998 (1377)
achieved three academic ranks in one year, 2000 (1379), (two ranks to appreciate his valuable educational research and scientific services)
“Exemplary Professor” of Tehran University in 2001 (1380)
winner of “Mehregan Elm” Award for writing the best scientific book out of 157 books in 2001 (1380)
appointed as the principal member of the Scientific Pole of Tehran University in 2001 (1380)
appointed as “Exemplary Professor” of his native province (Semnan)
achieving rank 29 of professorship in 2003 (1382) after passing from lecturer to professor
appointed as the “Exemplary Researcher” of Tehran University in 2006 (1385), on which occasion a postage stamp was printed in his honor
founder of the Desert Classification Centre at Semnan University in 2007 (1386)
admission and registration of his biography and scientific activities at the Organization of Documents and the National Library of Iran in 2007 (1386)
appointed as the “Exemplary Writer” of Tehran University and presentation of new perspectives on the deserts (the deserts as economical and touristic resources as well as a job-creation scheme for the whole country by the grace of god)
printing a book on this occasion, under the title “Theoretical Seat: New Perspectives on the Deserts (Salina)” in 2008 (1387), from the publications of Tehran University (in two languages: Persian and English)

Dr. Kardavani has always expressed his views and also his disapproval about great national projects he considered to be useless, such as (1) the project of creating a lake in three low internal regions of the country (Jazmoran Ditch, Lout Desert and Desert Field of Iran) and pumping water from the Persian Gulf to this region in order to change its dry internal climate to turn it into a damp region, (2) the project of digging a navigable canal between the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea “Iran-rood”, (3) the project of changing the climate of the dry internal regions of the country by splitting Alborz Mountains so that the damp weather of the north could enter into the dry regions, (4) the project of creating artificial rain (securing water) in dry and desert regions, such as Yazd, Kerman, Ghom, Sistan and Balouchestan and other provinces by cloud seeding (compensation of water shortage in these regions), (5) cultivation of jungle in dry and desert regions in order to change its climate.
He also submitted new ideas about the method of transferring water from the west of the country to the dry and desert regions (differs from the currently applied method because it would not cause problems for the source).

Other books of Dr. Parviz Kardavani:

1-Samples of the Soil of Lout, Zangi Ahmad.
From the publications of Geographic Institute, University of Tehran, Mordad 1349 (July/August 1970).
2-Samples of the Soil of Shahdad Region “Kerman”.
From the publications of Geographic Institute, University of Tehran, Tir 1350 (June/July 1971).
3-Shahdad to Dehsalem (soil, water, herbal cover and agricultural situation).
From the publications of Geographic Institute, University of Tehran, Mordad 1354 (July/August 1975).
4-The Influence of Human Beings and Natural Elements on the advancement of Lout Desert (Iran).
From the publication of Research Center of Desert Regions of Iran (affiliated to the Tehran University), 1356 (1977).
5-Reviewing the Problems of Rural Economy of the Desert Region of East of Kashan (Village of Abouzeidabad Region).
From the publications of Research Center of Desert Regions of Iran (affiliated to the Tehran University), 1356 (1977). (Jointly with Mr. Karami Khajeh).
6-Soil & the Environment
From the publications of Azad University of Iran, 1357 (1978).
7-Resources & Problems of Water in Iran, (1st volume: Surface & Underground Waters & the Problems of their Exploitation)
9th edition: Publication of Publication & Print Institute of the Tehran University, 1387 (2008).
8-Preserving Soil
From the publications of Publication & Print Institute of the Tehran University, 9th edition, 1387 (2008).
9-Dry Regions, 1st Volume, Climatic Specialties, Dryness Reasons, Problems of Water and the Etc.
From the publications of Publication & Print Institute of the Tehran University, 7th edition, 1387 (2008).
10-Resources & Problems of Water in Iran, (2nd volume, Salty Waters, Problems & Ways of Using Them)
4th edition, Publication & Print Institute of the Tehran University, 1387 (2008).
11-Dry Regions, 2nd volume of Soils.
Publication of Publication & Print Institute of the Tehran University, 3rd edition with revision, 1375 (1996).
12-Pastures, Problems & Their Solving in Iran.
Publication & Print Institute of the Tehran University, 4th edition, 1384 (2005).
13-Natural Ecosystems- 1st volume, general
Ghoumes Publication, 3rd Edition, 1382 (2003).
14-Geography of the Countries, (Travel Log), a glimpse to the situation of some previous republics of the U.S.S.R. and other socialist countries and Turkey: (Based on one land journey with the students of Ph.D and M.Sc. courses of the Tehran University), Paliz Cultural & Publication Center, Tehran, 1372 (1993).
15-Natural Ecosystems, Water Ecosystems, Elm Publication, 1383 (2004).
16-Water Ecosystems of Iran, Persian Gulf & Oman Sea
Ghoumes Publication, 1374 (1995).
17-Water Ecosystems of Iran, Caspian Sea
Ghoumes Publication, 1374 (1995).
18-Drought & the Ways of Confronting with it in Iran.
Publication & Print Institute of the Tehran University, 2nd Edition, 1386 (2007).
19-Geography of Soils
Publication & Print Institute of the Tehran University, 10th Edition, 1387 (2008).
20-Great Central Desert (Salina) of Iran & its Neighboring Regions.
(Problems of capabilities & the ways of exploitation)- Publication & Print Institute of the Tehran University, 1386 (2007).
21-Geo-Hydrology
Publication & Print Institute of the Tehran University, 3rd Edition, 1386 (2007).
22-Theoretical Seat: New Views about the deserts (Salina), Publication & Print Institute of the Tehran University, 1387 (2008).