1- Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University (SANRU)
2- university of Tehran
2- university of Tehran
Abstract: (46 Views)
Extended Abstract
Introduction and Objective: The occurrence of natural disasters such as floods has always left devastating effects in related geographical areas, especially in rural regions. Natural disasters often endanger residents' health and security through the destruction of economic resources and welfare facilities, which have always been regarded as a serious threat to development. Enhancing the resilience of rural households can facilitate development and improve the living conditions of residents and the environment. Nowadays, the enhancing resistance of societies toward natural hazards has been given more attention, so that the dominant view is focused on increasing "resilience" in the face of natural hazards. Resilience is considered the ability of a system to prepare for threats, absorb impacts, recover, and adapt to persistent stress or a disruptive event. With this respect, Mazandaran province has faced with frequent floods which have negative consequences for its agricultural and rural sectors. Consequently, the purpose of this study was to assess the resilience of rural households living in the Tajan watershed basin to floods.
Material and Methods: The data required for this descriptive-analytical research was gathered through a survey. The statistical population of the research was the rural households of the Tajan watershed basin (N=44014), and the sample size was determined using the formula provided by the Australian Statistics Center, resulting in 264 questionnaires being distributed. Of these, 257 were returned. The subjects were selected using a multi-stage proportional stratified random sampling method. The data collection instrument was a questionnaire. Its face and content validities were confirmed by a panel of experts in the fields of agricultural extension, education, and rural development. The reliability of its scales was also evaluated through a pilot study. Cronbach's alpha coefficients indicated the appropriate reliability of the scales used in the research.
Results: The results showed that rural households living in the Tajan watershed had lower ecological and economic resilience compared to the other dimensions of resilience, including social, institutional and infrastructural, and physical and infrastructure resilience. The regression analysis exhibited that four variables of the effectiveness of socio-economic strategies, the degree of technical strategies' adoption, the level of education, and natural capital, were able to explain approximately 46.5% of changes in rural households' resilience to floods.
Conclusion: To increase the economic resilience, providing low-interest loans, bank facilities, and credits to the villagers is imperative. To enhance the social resilience, it is recommended to educate at risk local communities to follow appropriate and timely measures in the face of floods. In addition, general education to the residents of rural communities, especially through textbooks and mass communication media, and also the implementation of educational exercises are recommended. Local administrative councils (i.e., dehyaries) should help and cooperate with the local government to prepare a flood risk map for the villages by delineating the points at risk, safe points and access routes (escape routes). These activities can be an effective step to enhance the institutional-infrastructural resilience of the rural households. Additionally, the management and protection of the Tajan watershed through measures such as preventing deforestation and allocating funds for the construction of cities and villages away from the flood plains are suggested by relevant organizations to increase the ecological resilience of rural households. Moreover, to improve the physical resilience, proper building design and compliance with national building regulations and the use of durable materials in construction should be considered. Cultivation management in the sloping lands should also be emphasized as one of the most important technical strategies to prevent torrential runoffs. Also, monitoring the performance of various agricultural activities will help to make rural communities more resilient. Preserving vegetation around farms and houses and protecting forests is other important strategies that should be taken into account in Tajan watershed. Changing the cultivation pattern should also be concentrated, considering ongoing natural hazards. Moreover, since natural capital played an important role in the resilience of rural households to floods, adopting conservation agriculture with the aim of improving soil organic matter and its fertility and increasing water absorption and permeability is proposed. Crop rotation and cultivation of plants such as medicinal plants that are perennial and help to conserve water and soil should also be included in the agricultural.
Introduction and Objective: The occurrence of natural disasters such as floods has always left devastating effects in related geographical areas, especially in rural regions. Natural disasters often endanger residents' health and security through the destruction of economic resources and welfare facilities, which have always been regarded as a serious threat to development. Enhancing the resilience of rural households can facilitate development and improve the living conditions of residents and the environment. Nowadays, the enhancing resistance of societies toward natural hazards has been given more attention, so that the dominant view is focused on increasing "resilience" in the face of natural hazards. Resilience is considered the ability of a system to prepare for threats, absorb impacts, recover, and adapt to persistent stress or a disruptive event. With this respect, Mazandaran province has faced with frequent floods which have negative consequences for its agricultural and rural sectors. Consequently, the purpose of this study was to assess the resilience of rural households living in the Tajan watershed basin to floods.
Material and Methods: The data required for this descriptive-analytical research was gathered through a survey. The statistical population of the research was the rural households of the Tajan watershed basin (N=44014), and the sample size was determined using the formula provided by the Australian Statistics Center, resulting in 264 questionnaires being distributed. Of these, 257 were returned. The subjects were selected using a multi-stage proportional stratified random sampling method. The data collection instrument was a questionnaire. Its face and content validities were confirmed by a panel of experts in the fields of agricultural extension, education, and rural development. The reliability of its scales was also evaluated through a pilot study. Cronbach's alpha coefficients indicated the appropriate reliability of the scales used in the research.
Results: The results showed that rural households living in the Tajan watershed had lower ecological and economic resilience compared to the other dimensions of resilience, including social, institutional and infrastructural, and physical and infrastructure resilience. The regression analysis exhibited that four variables of the effectiveness of socio-economic strategies, the degree of technical strategies' adoption, the level of education, and natural capital, were able to explain approximately 46.5% of changes in rural households' resilience to floods.
Conclusion: To increase the economic resilience, providing low-interest loans, bank facilities, and credits to the villagers is imperative. To enhance the social resilience, it is recommended to educate at risk local communities to follow appropriate and timely measures in the face of floods. In addition, general education to the residents of rural communities, especially through textbooks and mass communication media, and also the implementation of educational exercises are recommended. Local administrative councils (i.e., dehyaries) should help and cooperate with the local government to prepare a flood risk map for the villages by delineating the points at risk, safe points and access routes (escape routes). These activities can be an effective step to enhance the institutional-infrastructural resilience of the rural households. Additionally, the management and protection of the Tajan watershed through measures such as preventing deforestation and allocating funds for the construction of cities and villages away from the flood plains are suggested by relevant organizations to increase the ecological resilience of rural households. Moreover, to improve the physical resilience, proper building design and compliance with national building regulations and the use of durable materials in construction should be considered. Cultivation management in the sloping lands should also be emphasized as one of the most important technical strategies to prevent torrential runoffs. Also, monitoring the performance of various agricultural activities will help to make rural communities more resilient. Preserving vegetation around farms and houses and protecting forests is other important strategies that should be taken into account in Tajan watershed. Changing the cultivation pattern should also be concentrated, considering ongoing natural hazards. Moreover, since natural capital played an important role in the resilience of rural households to floods, adopting conservation agriculture with the aim of improving soil organic matter and its fertility and increasing water absorption and permeability is proposed. Crop rotation and cultivation of plants such as medicinal plants that are perennial and help to conserve water and soil should also be included in the agricultural.
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
بلايای طبيعی (سيل، خشکسالی و حرکت های توده ای)
Received: 2024/05/7 | Accepted: 2024/09/22
Received: 2024/05/7 | Accepted: 2024/09/22
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