The Role of Smart Technologies in Enhancing the Ecological Passive Defense of Tehran

This research, titled The Role of Smart Technologies in Enhancing the Ecological Passive Defense of Tehran Metropolis, investigates how smart technologies can be utilized to reduce ecological vulnerability and enhance Tehran’s resilience against natural and human-induced threats. As the capital of Iran, Tehran faces challenges such as rapid urbanization, air pollution, water scarcity, and natural hazards like earthquakes and floods, which have rendered its ecosystem fragile. Ecological passive defense, a preventive approach to protecting infrastructure and natural resources without relying on military tools, is of critical importance in this context. Smart technologies—including the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, and big data—can strengthen this defense through real-time monitoring, threat prediction, and optimized resource management. The study employs a descriptive-analytical and survey-based methodology, collecting data via a researcher-designed questionnaire from a sample of 100 individuals (professors and experts in ecology and passive defense in Tehran). The sample size was determined based on standard practices for path analysis to ensure sufficient data for meaningful results. Findings indicate that the variable Quality of Life and Ecological Health has the most significant direct impact on ecological passive defense, with a beta coefficient of 0.434, while Sustainability and Balance of the Urban Ecosystem plays a key role with a beta of 0.345. Additionally, smart technologies contribute to reducing vulnerability by enhancing ecological infrastructure and urban resilience through improvements in quality of life. The results suggest that the lack of integration between these technologies and passive defense programs remains a primary challenge in Tehran’s ecological management.