JOURNAL OF RURAL RESEARCH
Year:2024 | Volume:15 | Issue:1|Papers Count:10

Villages with historical and vernacular textures in Mazandaran province can develop tourism in Iran. Thanks to the many attractions (natural and cultural-historical) and the development of the communication network, etc. (as a tourist destination), they are increasingly visited by city dwellers. They welcome a large number of tourists to the province annually. Tourism experience guarantees the possibility of returning tourists. However, the lack of clear and specific criteria for each rural area due to its specific physical-spatial texture sometimes makes developing long-term planning and implementation challenging. Thus, identifying physical-spatial factors and criteria in line with tourism development in vernacular villages is essential. Thus, this study was exploratory and descriptive regarding the data collection method. The study's statistical population included 250 experts who were selected and questioned using a random network. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software and through exploratory factor analysis, Pearson correlation, and regression analysis. The research results have shown that 97.9 percent of tourism development changes by physical-spatial factors, including physical-environmental quality, spatial organization and permeability, decorative elements and architectural style, comfort and infrastructure facilities, climate adaptation, greenery and natural scenery, cultural and religious centers, comfort Physicality, identity and personality of the place have been explained. Physical-environmental quality, spatial organization, and permeability impact rural tourism development, with impact coefficients of 0.674 and 0.348, respectively.

In this research, the physical resilience of the rural settlements of Amlash County against landslides was investigated using hierarchical analysis, weighted summation, and overlap index. Then, the spatial pattern of the resilience of the villages was determined using spatial statistics indicators. For this purpose, ten criteria of slope, distance from fault, building quality, materials and materials, building life, seismicity, geology, the direction of slope, width of passages, and height were used in order of importance. Also, two methods of local Moran's I statistic and hot spot analysis (G* Gettys-Ord) were used to identify patterns. The results showed that the physical resilience of rural settlements against landslides varies from very low to very high. Villages with very high resilience are in the northeastern region, and towns with very low resilience are in the northwestern region and the plains. They are located in the foothills of Amlash County. In the mountainous area of the County, villages with low and medium resilience were also visible in all three investigated models. In this regard, the results of the local population statistics show the presence of high-high (HH) and low-low (LL) clusters in the northeast and northwest of the studied area, and these patterns have also appeared in the villages of the plains and foothills. Also, the existence of hot and cold hot spots in the northeast and northwest of the County has been proven, and with three positive and negative standard deviations at the 99% confidence level, they have been shown in the plains and foothills. Most of the counties' villages have moderate resilience to landslides, and their random behavior was confirmed by local Moran's I statistics and hot spot analysis. In total, the points of villages with high and low resilience with high-high and low-low cluster patterns of local Moran's I and hot and cold spots of G* Gettys-Ord in all three models of hierarchical analysis, weighted summation, and matching overlap index were.

Environmental quality is one of the essential and influential components in the planning and development of tourism in rural areas, and it plays an influential role in the tourists' satisfaction and, consequently, their loyalty. In terms of tourism planning, this study investigated the environmental quality of rural tourism destinations and explained the most important factors of environmental quality that affect tourists' satisfaction and loyalty. The descriptive-analytical research method was conducted based on the survey and documentary methods. The statistical population of this research, in terms of location, was the tourist villages located in the sub-province of Izeh, and the participants in the survey were the tourists who had visited the nine sample villages. The number of sample tourists based on the Kochran method for the unknown population is 450 people, and 50 people are considered for each town. The required data were collected through documentary methods and fieldwork (questionnaire). Results show that the environmental quality and tourists' satisfaction and loyalty in the studied rural areas are above average. Among the indicators of environmental quality, the index of dynamic quality of the environment has the most significant impact on tourists' satisfaction and loyalty.

Today, second home ownership has become an everyday lifestyle in most parts of the world, after more than two decades of research records in Iran and the dispersal of thematic literature or second home studies. This research aims to review and analyze scientific research articles in the second home field in Iran in the structural and content framework to evaluate the internal scientific status compared to international literature, reveal research gaps, and identify priorities for future study. For this purpose, 87 internal articles were identified by systematic review and categorized by content analysis and MAXQDA software. To compare internal studies with global knowledge, 154 international articles were analyzed using the word co-occurrence technique in VOSviewer software. The results show that internal studies lack an interdisciplinary approach. Thematic classification of the studies shows that researchers pay more attention to the description of the reproduced space at the level of objectivity, the dominance of the result-oriented attitude, and less attention to the causal-explanatory level. Evaluating the studies' methodologies reveals positivist dominance in the internal literature. Similar to internal knowledge, international studies emphasize the consequence-oriented approach and, unlike internal studies, focus more on the qualitative approach and subjective perception of stakeholders. Future research requires expanding the geographical scope and paying attention to the scale of the city and suburbs, producing knowledge with an interdisciplinary approach, focusing more on qualitative and mixed methods, explaining causal forces by considering all stakeholders, and in-depth and multi-level studies. The research outputs can be helpful for researchers and policymakers because they present the current state of knowledge and propose research perspectives.

The present research is applied in terms of purpose, descriptive-analytical in terms of type, and information gathering; it combines documentary (library) and field methods (based on questionnaire distribution, observation, and semi-structured interviews). The research approach is a combination of both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The statistical population includes local people and tourism experts, service owners, and rural development officials of the region. The working method was as follows: firstly, in the qualitative part, to identify the most important obstacles affecting the sustainability of Oraman tourism, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the group of service owners, specialists, and officials, using the snowball sampling method and the theoretical technique. Fundamental analysis was done and in the next stage using inferential statistics tests (one-sample t and path analysis), the identified obstacles in the form of a researcher-made questionnaire and random distribution among 310 heads of households living in the target villages of the tourism in the region, whose number was determined by Cochran's method from the size of the community to 1110 people, and 60 people from tourism service owners, tourists, experts, and regional development officials were approved. The research results summarized the most significant obstacles and challenges for the sustainability of rural tourism in the Oraman region in four dimensions: economic inadequacies, social inadequacies, institutional inadequacies and weaknesses, and physical-environmental inadequacies. and the lack of attention and proper government supervision with /486 was the most effective. in the instability of tourism in the region.

Governance of biosecurity in aquaculture depends on the identification and analysis of stakeholders' perspectives. The current research aimed to identify and determine the stakeholders' position in the aquaculture farms' biosecurity in Kermanshah province, which was done using a mixed method. Data were collected by purposive sampling of aquaculture professionals. In the first step, after three Delphi steps and semi-structured interviews with 15 people, 29 biosecurity stakeholders were identified. By drawing the affecting-affected and power-benefit matrix, each stakeholder's position in the farms' health measures was determined. Also, the role of stakeholders and their position in the biosecurity process was determined by using a researcher-made questionnaire. Based on the results, the primary implementers of biosecurity are government institutions, which were in a higher position than other stakeholders in scientific, social, political, and legal power and gained more benefits from implementing biosecurity measures. Fish farmers should be the center of attention for other stakeholders to achieve biosecurity goals. A group of stakeholders, contrary to their valuable role in the sustainability of health measures, play a minimal role, which has weakened biosecurity. The results of conventional content analysis led to identifying 85 sentences in the form of 38 conceptual propositions. The categories presented in the study of power and benefit interviews can be used to build capacity and promote greater participation and interaction between stakeholders in the biosecurity strategy.

The information required for the research was collected using a survey and a questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using the structural equation modeling approach using SPSS and Amos software. The statistical population of this study consisted of rural households in four rural areas of Baghmalek County of Khuzestan province (N = 3005) households based on the Krejcie and Morgan table, and the sample size of 340 households was selected. Sample individuals were studied using a stratified sampling method with proportional assignment. The results obtained from the model of structural equations of path analysis also showed that the structures of perceived reaction effectiveness, perceived self-efficacy, ethical norm, information, and knowledge and habit have a positive, direct, and significant effect on the behavioral desire of rural households to protect water. Finally, the developed theory of conservation motivation can predict 54% of the variable changes in the behavioral tendency of rural households towards water conservation. The results showed that the theory used was efficient in this field. Therefore, water policymakers need to know that psychological factors are part of sustainable behavior. Using incentives and restrictions cannot help promote safe behavior in the environment unless people are psychologically prepared for a behavior. In this regard, it is recommended that local institutions and government organizations support the protection of natural resources, especially water, by holding training classes, workshops, and seminars. The concern of water protection and the need to pay attention to it have also been created in the audience's minds, as well as people's participation and increased willingness to protect water.

Today; optimal management requires the utilization of local capacities and compliance with macro planning policies and systems. Accordingly, paying attention to local governance is the approach every planner uses. Peri-urban villages and especially rural areas of the Tehran metropolitan fringe must have an efficient management framework due to their influence from the city. This is possible when it is possible to identify the desired local management and related components. The review of the previous research shows the Weakness of the existing frameworks in explaining the integrated framework of local management in rural areas. This research has been done to develop a comprehensive framework of effective local governance processes in peri-urban villages with a systematic review.in terms of purpose, this research is basic. The current research has collected the components of local management of peri-urban villages in ten years with a systematic review approach. These components have been collected from 15 databases using 3 specific keywords and a clear and pre-designed strategy. After screening and qualitative evaluation, the final analysis has done on 20 articles—analysis of articles identified six components and 60 sub-components to explain the local management framework. The evaluation of the systematic review studies showed that integrity is a principle in local management. In this field, integrity in executive, structural, laws, financial sources of sustainability, policymaking, citizen-oriented, and vertical should be considered.

Today, the quality of services, especially in government organizations, has become an important issue in satisfying the stakeholders. On the other hand, home businesses are vital in advanced activities. The present study was conducted to measure the quality of services of the Gilan Province Agricultural Jihad Organization and its effect on the satisfaction of home business owners. The method of this research was practical in terms of purpose and field in terms of data collection. The statistical population of this research is all the people working in the home occupations of the Gilan Province Agricultural Jihad Organization in 1402. The sample size is 220 people, and the sampling method was simply random; the data collection tool was a standard questionnaire. Descriptive analysis of research data was conducted using SPSS26 software. SmartPLS3 software was used to investigate the research hypotheses using structural equation modeling using the partial least squares method. The results showed that the average variables of customer satisfaction and service quality and its dimensions, including physical (tangible) factors, reliability, responsiveness, reassurance, and empathy, are lower than average, according to the respondents. The results indicate that all aspects of the organization's service quality impact the service quality, and the organization's service quality has a positive and direct effect on customer satisfaction. Considering the effect of the organization's service quality on customer satisfaction, suggestions were made to improve the service quality level of the Gilan Province Agricultural Jihad Organization and also to improve the satisfaction of home business owners with the service quality of this organization.

We conducted this study in the Agogo Traditional Area of the Ashanti region of Ghana where there are numerous cases of conflicts between crop and animal farmers as a result of insufficient pasture for livestock, especially during the dry seasons. This has drawn the attention of various stakeholders in agriculture to the need for supplement feed through pasture establishment. The study examines farmers’ perception and the financial viability of pasture establishment for small ruminant production. The specific objectives of the study are as follow: to identify the cost and returns for the establishment of an acre of pasture, to assess the financial viability of pasture establishment on ‘cut and sell’ basis, to investigate farmers’ perception of pasture establishment for cattle production, to conduct a SWOT analysis of the establishment of pasture in Agogo. The study purports to analyze in detail, farmers' perceptions about the nature of the proposed 'Fodder Bank' policy and its likely effect on crop and livestock production, and whether the proposed policy could generate adequate monetary returns to induce its adoption at the farm level. The study seeks to provide evidence in support of SDG goals 2 (Zero hunger) and 12 (Responsible consumption and production) of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development. To the authors' best of knowledge, this is envisage to provide valuable information to support policy initiatives intended to tackle the root cause of farmer-herder conflicts. The Asante Akim North Municipal is one of the 27 administrative Districts in the Ashanti Region. Its capital is Konongo- Odumasi. The population for this study comprises livestock and crop farmers in Agogo. Asante Akim North Municipal was purposively selected for the study because it is noted for its agrarian abilities and massive production of food in the Ashanti region. The multi stage sampling was employed in this study. At the first stage, Asante Agogo traditional area was selected purposively due to the fact that majority of the inhabitants engage in agricultural activities (GSS 2010). At the second stage, three communities in Agogo namely, Hwidiem, Ananekrom and Bebuso were selected purposively. At the third stage, quota sampling was used to obtain a specific number of farmers from each of the three communities to sum up to 150 respondents as shown in table. Simple random sampling technique was then used to engage the selected farmers in these communities. A sample size of 150 respondents were obtained using the Slovin’s formulae which is a scientific method of obtaining the sample size for a given population. Structured questionnaires consisting of open and close ended questions were used to gather primary data from respondents through face-to-face interviews. Interviews were conducted using the local dialect mostly to enhance communication and to clear all language barriers but English was used where the respondents could give accurate answers in English Language. Data per the questionnaires from respondents were concerning their perception of pasture establishment and the assessment of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of pasture establishment. Secondary data was sought from books, journals, dissertations and the internet. Useful and relevant information on the appropriate materials and their costs for establishing pasture was also obtained from the Agogo MoFA office, and the KNUST Department of Animal Science. Descriptive statistics such as percentages, tables and means were used to analyze the socio-economic characteristics of respondents. It was revealed in the study that majority of crop farmers have had their crops destroyed by ruminants especially cattle at least once. Additionally, the study showed that pasture establishment is one way through which crop farms destruction by livestock can be prevented as about 99% of farmers responded in the affirmative. The results for the financial viability of the venture under the assumptions used gave relevant results with BCR of 1.18 and NPV of GHC 3,160. The Internal Rate Return of the venture is estimated at 40.1% and a Pay Back period of 2.61 years. Therefore, it will be economically prudent for investors to commit resources towards establishing pasture. The perception index for commercial, economic and financial concerns of pasture establishment was 3.7 which is skewed toward agree. The statement that had the highest positive perception index was about the fact that pasture establishment will increase the quality of meat. This implies that respondents perceive that the commercial, economic and financial results of pasture establishment will be positive. The perception index for the social category was 3.66. The statement with the highest positive assertion by respondents is the fact that pasture establishment will help control the movement of animals. The perception index of 3.66 which is skewed towards agree means that pasture establishment will attract the support from the community and also bring more benefits to the society. In the category of technical concerns of pasture establishment, the overall perception index for this category is 3.15, which means that the respondents perceive they have a fair technical know- how concerning pasture establishment even though the venture requires technical know-how. In the category of institutional concerns, support and involvement in pasture establishment, the statement with the highest perception index is that MoFA will support farmers with the necessary resources in its capacity. With reference to the chi-square test, the study can conclude that there is a significant relationship between the type of farmer and the perception that support can be drawn from farmer-based associations, and the perception that pasture establishment will increase livestock production as well as the general sales of farmers. Lastly, the study revealed that there is a significant relationship between the educational background of the farmer and the perception that it is not difficult to select planting materials for pasture establishment. Farmers in Asante Akim Agogo should adopt the establishment of pasture since it is financially viable. The establishment of pasture in Asante Akim Agogo should be encouraged since it has the potency to reduce the farmer - herder conflicts and ensure food security. For successful pasture establishment, technical know-how is essential.