Assessment of the adaptation of rural housing to the climatic conditions in arid areas: A case study of Sistan and Baluchestan Province

Due to the climatic diversity in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, housing diversity is one of the characteristics of this province. The southern part of the province, at least in a part of the year, has tropical climate features; the area experiences extreme heat and high relative humidity. At the same time, the northern parts of the province are affected by the climatic elements of tropical regions, where the climate is hot and dry. The diversity in housing caused by the climatic diversity of the region is one of the characteristics of this part of the country. Taftan mountainous regions of Bazman, hot and dry central regions, hot and humid southern regions, and the general position of the province have made the climate diversified. This has given the traditional houses there structural variety. The investigation of the adaptation or incompatibility of indigenous habitats with climatic features indicated that the local houses in the city of Sarbaz have the highest adaptability to the climate. Those in Saravan, Iranshahr, Nikshahr, Zahedan and Zabul have moderate adaptation. In Chabahar and Bampur, a minimum compatibility exists between the local houses and the climate. Also, the study of the spatial relationships in the province showed spatial similarities among Nikshahr, Saravan, Khash and Zahedan in terms of housing characteristics. These areas have a cluster distribution pattern. The buildings in Iranshahr with the autocorrelation coefficient of -0.714 have the highest coordination with the rest of the province. The cities of Iranshahr and Zabol have the least spatial relationship with the rest of the province with a negative correlation coefficient close to zero. It is considered as a random pattern in terms of spatial distribution. Therefore, the most adapted houses are located in Sarbaz, Nikshahr, Zabol.