Policy Gap Analysis in Spatial Planning for Transition to Climate-Resilient Livelihoods (Case Study: Kordian District, Jahrom County)

The impact of climate change threatens rural livelihoods in semi-arid areas like Kordian District of Iran’s Jahrom County, particularly where there is inadequate spatial planning. This research analyzes policy shortcomings in Iran’s spatial planning framework concerning climate-induced resilient livelihood changes, based on the qualitative analysis of four documents and field survey of 18 stakeholders. This study identifies and analyzes the following critical gaps: 1 misalignment between climate adaptation objectives and land-use planning decisions spatial planning within higher order planning documents, 2 layered governance silos, and 3 the local livelihood framework is planned for but not planned with. The spatial analysis showcases overlooked economic opportunities like pastoralism, horticulture, and solar energy, which are limited by infrastructural deficits, climate hazards, and policy fragmentation. Further compounding these issues is geographic isolation and dysfunctional settlement morphology. This research outlines actionable strategies within the policy-action-instituition matrix framework, calling for the spatial restructuring of service network configurations, climate-resilient livelihood diversification, improved governance coordination, targeted youth and female empowerment, and the ecosysystem-based adaptation approach to spatial planning. The gaps between the objectives and the means employed demonstrate the inadequacy of current spatial planning approaches to semi-arid regions integrating climate, institutional frameworks, and socio-spatial relations. The proposed framework spatially called suggest is adaptable and enrich spatial.