Underground Spaces: a Step Towards Sustainable Development in Khuzestan Province, Iran

Reducing the consumption of fossil fuels using the underground spaces has a significant impact on the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. In this study, the temperature of soil layers and the thermal comfort in these layers were investigated to create the underground spaces in Khuzestan province. The average summer temperature in the center of the province is about 38 degrees C, which is far from the comfort of the temperature. The surface annual temperature fluctuation in the province varies from 23.5 in the north of the province to 28.5 degrees C in the southeast. Investigating the temperature fluctuation in the soil layers shows that it decreases by increasing the depth, so that at a depth of 10 meters, the temperature fluctuation is approximately zero which is equal to the annual average temperature. Therefore, up to a depth of 10 m, temperature fluctuation decreases by increasing the depth. The use of underground spaces in the province can be taken as an alternative in coping with heat and extreme sunlight, reducing energy and controlling dust. It also has a positive effect on economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.