Alireza Rabet; Ghobad Rostamizad; Amin Salehpour Jam
Abstract
Introduction
One of the important problems in the process of implementing and maintaining watershed projects and natural resources is the lack of effective participation and cooperation of watershed residents. Based on this, it is necessary and inevitable to pay attention to the inhibiting factors and ...
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Introduction
One of the important problems in the process of implementing and maintaining watershed projects and natural resources is the lack of effective participation and cooperation of watershed residents. Based on this, it is necessary and inevitable to pay attention to the inhibiting factors and also to identify ways to strengthen the participation of local communities in the process of implementing watershed and natural resources projects. This research, was done with the aim of knowing the socio-economic characteristics of local communities, identifying indicators that are effective in reducing obstacles and increasing people's participation in the implementation of natural resources and watershed projects, knowing the expectations and needs of the local community and finally, scientific and technical solutions have been presented to increase the level of public participation in Arpachai pilot area of Zanjan Province .
Materials and methods
In this study, four influential indices, including social-cultural, economic, natural, and managerial, were identified and categorized with 40 sub-indices. Necessary information was collected through surveys, questionnaires, interviews, and multiple sessions with community members and local experts. The sample size was determined using the Cochran formula, and the collected data were analyzed using SPSS software. Also, to check the validity of the questionnaire from Cronbach's alpha, factor analysis was used in order to reduce and categorize the variables affecting people's non-participation in watershed management projects.
Result and discussion
The results showed that six factors explain 64.4% of the variance of the dependent variable and the education and information variable at the local level was recognized as the most effective factor that explained 29.97% of the variance of the dependent variable. Following that, the factors of improving the income and livelihood of villagers with 19.24%, diversity of economic activities and improving performance with 18.93%, strengthening the local economy with 13.92%, management of watershed projects with 11.34% and natural resources management with 4.3% were placed in the second to sixth priority, respectively.
Conclusion
In general, it can be said that the lack of information and awareness of the local community about the positive economic, social, natural and technical aspects and benefits resulting from the implementation of natural resources and watershed management projects in the area of their living and production is one of the important obstacles in the lack of participation and failure to achieve the anticipated goals in the implementation of watershed and natural resources projects in the study area. Based on this, attention and emphasis on the issue of building trust and increasing the level of social trust in the General Administration of Natural Resources and Watershed Management plays a significant role in the process of implementation and success of projects.
seyed jafar seyed akhlaghi; mostafa taleshi
Abstract
Resilience is one of the strategies to reduce the vulnerability of communities in dealing with natural hazards. Among environmental hazards, drought is the most costly natural hazard due to the decrease in production and severity of suffering for villagers and farmers. Assessment of the effects of recent ...
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Resilience is one of the strategies to reduce the vulnerability of communities in dealing with natural hazards. Among environmental hazards, drought is the most costly natural hazard due to the decrease in production and severity of suffering for villagers and farmers. Assessment of the effects of recent drought in the country, Indicators of low resilience of societies against this natural hazard are therefore indispensable for resilience of societies against drought. This is an applied research and has been done by descriptive-analytical method with the aim of measuring and evaluating the level of rural resilience in facing drought risk. To conduct research, using library resources, indicators and factors affecting rural resilience were identified and defined operationally. Then, using the field method and the questionnaire, the required information was gathered and the information collected using SPSS software Processed. The statistical population of the rural farmers is Hablehrood. For this purpose, 9 villages from different areas of the province with different levels of drought and development were selected and based on the Cochran formula, 271 farmers were selected as sample size. The tests used in this research are single sample T, Friedman test and Pearson correlation coefficient. The results showed that the level of field fluctuation was at an undesirable level and lower than the average level, and the rural areas of Hablehrood watershed were at risk of drought occurrence in the vulnerability to resilience.
Ghasem Mortezaii; Mahmoudreza Tabatabaei; Mohammad Jafar Soltani; Taher Farhadinezhad
Abstract
Like most of the wetlands in the country, Bisheh Delan Wetland is in poor condition and its ecological balance is fragile and unstable. The purpose of this study was to develop and implement a training program on the importance of Bisheh Delan Wetland and how to use it responsibly by governmental and ...
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Like most of the wetlands in the country, Bisheh Delan Wetland is in poor condition and its ecological balance is fragile and unstable. The purpose of this study was to develop and implement a training program on the importance of Bisheh Delan Wetland and how to use it responsibly by governmental and non-governmental stakeholders with the aim of repairing and supporting its restoration. In this regard, 10 workshops were conducted in a non-randomized purposeful manner in order to gain insight into the economic, social, technological, political, and cultural issues of the study area. Then, using elite ideas, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the wetland were identified. After, in accordance with the CEPA Action Plan, four strategies, including: A) public participation-information and socio-economic issues, B) promotion of national conservation and cooperation wetland management, C) achieving optimal environmental status and D) achieving optimum soil and water status were determined and then ranked. Based on the results of the strategy rankings as well as the results from the QSPM matrix, the conservative WO strategy was identified as the main strategy for the study area. In this strategy, handicrafts and indirect sales of its products to tourists are opportunities in the region that can, while directly and indirectly employing local communities, reduce the region's weaknesses (such as lower household income levels, poor infrastructure facilities and etc). Based on the results of this study, empowering local communities in achieving participatory wetland management is one of the best strategies for sustainable utilization of Bisheh Delan Wetland.
Ebrahim Karimi Sangchini; Majid Ownegh; Amir Sadoddin; Nasser Tahmasebipuor; Hossein Rezaee
Abstract
This article describes a research aiming to investigate factors affecting community participation and to predict community acceptance of vegetation-based management scenarios in the Hable-rud River Basin. The Hable-rud River Basin which is a transboundary basin is extended between Tehran and Semnan provinces ...
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This article describes a research aiming to investigate factors affecting community participation and to predict community acceptance of vegetation-based management scenarios in the Hable-rud River Basin. The Hable-rud River Basin which is a transboundary basin is extended between Tehran and Semnan provinces in Iran. In this research, vegetative management scenarios include: the current condition, terracing, saxaul plantation, riparian restoration, forage growing, bunch seeding, contour furrowing, tree plantation, grazing exclusion, seeding, drill seeding, orchard development, and agroforestry. Through an interview with the stakeholders of the basin, a predefined questionnaire was completed for each respondent separately. Validity and reliability of the questionnaire were tested. On the basis of Cochran formula, 379 respondents were chosen in a stratified sampling scheme among the local communities of the basin. The factors influencing people's participation in various districts of the basin were investigated. The community acceptance level of watershed management actions was quantified using binomial probability distribution. Financial support policies of the government were identified as the most effective factor in community participation for the study area that attained the highest value in the viewpoint of people living in Sorkhe and Ivanakey districts. Community participation was evaluated in four forms including support by heart, labor support, financial support, and labor and financial support. The analysis indicates that scenarios of agroforestry and orchard development have the highest level of labor and financial support. Central Firoozkooh and Central Damavand districts have maximum labor and financial support level. The results of the binomial distribution analysis show that scenarios of agroforestry and orchard development have highest preferences among the local communities of the Hable-rud river basin. The results of this research can be used by managers and decision makers to promote soil and water resources protection as well as to promote the adoption of management actions at the watershed scale.
