JOURNAL OF RURAL RESEARCH
Year:2020 | Volume:10 | Issue:4|Papers Count:12

Rural tourism is a new approach in development theories for building empowerment and capacity for rural areas. The present research was done in a spring and summer of 2017 to identify the challenges of rural tourism of Kermanshah province by applying qualitative paradigm and fundamental theory method (Grounded theory). Tourism experts and specialists of Kermanshah province make the study population in which 15 subjects were selected using purposeful combination sampling method. Data collection was carried out through an in-depth and semi-structured interview, which continued to reach theoretical saturation level. Data analysis was performed through three open, axial and selective coding steps. The phenomenon of the environment in rural tourism of Kermanshah province remaining unknown was the main issue that the researchers repeatedly encountered in reviewing and revising their field notes. Moreover, the underlying conditions; causal conditions (the inefficiency of the process of guiding investors and entrepreneurs in rural tourism and the lack of infrastructure facilities in rural areas); interventional conditions (aging and rural population decline, land ownership and security problems); strategies and outcomes related to this phenomenon, such as an increase in urban migration, demands for unprofitable or false jobs, rural depopulation, dissatisfaction with living conditions and economic inhabitancy, and unidentified natural, cultural and tourism potentialities of the villages were explored by the use of the paradigmatic model in this study.

Tourism contains dynamic perspectives and the opportunity for the employment and development of rural entrepreneurship that can be highlighted by recognizing mixed marketing factors to recognize and absorb the destination. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of tourism marketing (Place and People) on rural entrepreneurship in Rijab, Kermanshah province. This is a survey of experts in this field (travel and rural entrepreneurship) that can be used to travel with your family. This concept provides you with theoretical predictions, research, research and investigation using consulting and decisionmaking services to allow you to conduct the interview and use financial resources and consulting in this area. After the validation and reliability of the questionnaire, extreme data is gathered purposefully and considering three factors including being responsible, being doable, and being entrepreneurship in tourism industry. SPSS software and Smart PLS were applied to analyze the descriptive and inferential data. Models are fitted by referring to mean root of standardized residual squared root (SRMR), Model Fitting Penalty (EMFT), Normal Fitting Store (NFI) and your root squared covariance matrix (RMS_Theta). The results of data analysis show that location dimension with 51% and people dimension with 52% were effective on rural entrepreneurship development in Rijab region of Kermanshah province.

Agritourism is a kind of rural tourism that is located in a particular tourism or alternative tourist group. Today, agritourism is considered as a strategy to improve the economic, social and biological conditions of villages in the world. The present paper aims at assessing the capacity of Masal rural environment for the development of Agritourism based on 6 indicators: The landscape of natural attractions, the landscape of man-made attractions, tourist capacity, accommodation facilities and amenities, infrastructure facilities and services, and historical-cultural monuments in order to not only evaluate the general status of Masal villages in terms of the possibility of making and developing agricultural tourism but also identify the most susceptible areas. The statistical population consists of all rural areas of Township Masal. The Township Masal has 108 rural spots. Based on sampling in descriptive studies, 20% of the villages, 20 villages, have been identified as samples, depending on the location of the elevation-topography (Plain, foothills and mountains) indices. The Present study is a kind of applied research with a quantitative approach which has been used to analyze the data from multi-factor decision-making models (MADM) with non-predictive methods DEMATEL, ANP, and ANP-DEMATEL. The findings showed that rural areas of Masal have a good capacity for agritourism development. However, the foothill regions and the hillsides are better than the mountainous area.

Quality of life (QoL) is highly depended on individuals’ economic condition. Therefore, this subject is so important at lesser areas such as rural regions. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of agricultural bank credits on farmers’ QoL in Zanjan rural regions. 29 farmers who received bank credits were selected as sample by using purposeful sampling method. The inquiry as qualitative study used narrative and documentary analysis to analyze content of interviews. The thematic analysis, content network and comparative analysis were used as a tool to analyze relationship among modified contents. Internal validity was approved using of triangulation process and as well as the external validity by maximum variation technique in sample selection. The findings showed that the effect of credits on the farmers’ QoL varies based on the type and amount of credits. While short-term microfinance payments led to improving the production quality, health, and safety; in long term, led to relative deprivation and decreases the farmers’ QoL due to the deviations in the functioning of the credits. Due to creation of stable employment and income, micro capital credits have led to improving of the Farmers’ QoL. Finally, macro capital credits affected income, health quality, safety, quality of social relation, and environment which have an important role in increasing of QoL in the village regions.

The implementation of land consolidation plan with the aim of integrating the dispersed parcels of smallholder farmers and minimizing their number has a long history, but the adoption of the implementation of this plan by the farmers community is affected by various factors that must be addressed in the implementation of the LC plan to be placed. The purpose of this research is to identify the factors affecting the adoption of LC plan in order to provide suitable solutions for the implementation of this plan. The statistical population of this research was wheat growers of Shoosh county of Khuzestan province (N=2000). The sample size was estimated 322 people by using Krejsi-Morgan table. They were selected by simple random sampling among farmers in rural areas of Shoush. The research instrument was a questionnaire whose validity was reviewed and corrected by using a group of academic researchers and experts in the area of land management. The logit model was used to estimate the effect of different variables on the adoption of the LC plan. The results of this study showed that income variables such as the ownership of agricultural machinery, non-agricultural occupation, distance between parcels, educational level, participation in extension classes and having knowledge about the benefits of the LC plan have a positive and significant effect on the adoption of LC plan. Variables such as farmers' experience, number of components, the amount of loans received and the number of household members have a negative effect on adopting LC plan. The results of the ADOPT model showed that 9. 3 years are needed to consolidate the Shooshtar county by 98 percent of the farmers. In the first five years of the plan, 66. 2 percent of the farmers will accept the plan in Shushtar. It should be noted that we need four years to make 50% of the farmers adopt LC plan.

The main purpose of this mixed research was to identify and prioritize the damage of participatory irrigation management among water users' cooperatives in Mian-Darband Plain of Kermanshah Township. The population for qualitative phase consisted of experts and Informant at Kermanshah Regional Water Organization (N=15). Sampling method for this phase was purposeful. Population of quantitative part was members in water users' cooperatives of Mian Darband (N=688) that a sample of 245 was selected by stratified random sampling method. The data collection tool was semi-structured interview and a researcher-made questionnaire Based on the findings from the qualitative part, the damage expressed by the members of water cooperatives was divided into two categories, including the damage related to cooperatives and members (internal damage) and damage related to organization and related organs to the management of irrigation and drainage networks (external damage). According to the results of the quantitative apart, the most important damages which threaten the cooperatives were: not holding of management board meetings and general assembly, dissatisfaction with policy of management networks, distrust among members of cooperation, lack of timely delivery of water during the growing season, lack of uniformity in water distribution, high water pricing, not delivering long-time credits by government for recovering water resources. Water-user Cooperatives Cluster analysis was used in five clusters to determine the extent of identified impacts.

According to studies conducted by the International Water Management Institute, 65 countries with a population of over 7 billion will be facing water scarcity in 2050, which means that even with the highest efficiency and productivity, there will be a problem to meet the water needs. About 25 percent of world population, including Iran, is in this group. In this research, the indices were identified for measurement using the library method and the research background. Measurement of the indices and changes was done through the data from the general census in 2006 and 2016, comparing aerial photos, questionnaires, and field studies. Changes in access to water resources have led to different reactions to balance and adapt to new conditions. Investigating the sample population of the study showed that the change in agricultural water resources did not significantly change the population in rural areas, which could be due to different conditions of the region, including its proximity to Qom and its effects. Increasing the cost of exploiting water resources, such as increasing the depth of wells, dredging of aqueducts, and covering creeks, etc. are also associated with the change of water resources, and more importantly, these measures are related to life satisfaction and the immigration incentives and job opportunities. Generally, it is concluded that facilitation measures should be taken for producers to reduce their operating costs, to increase life satisfaction level and job opportunities and as a result to decrease immigration incentives.

Investigation and studying the villages and their physical and visual developments illustrates the involvement of various factors that are sometimes at the discretion of the villagers and others. These factors target the villages in different ways. Landscape change is one of these factors. The purpose of this study was to identify the most important factors affecting the physical landscape change in the suburbs of Mashhad metropolis. The research method is a descriptive-analytical and applied one. The statistical population of the study consisted of 13 villages located 5 km north of Mashhad which were determined by GIS software and based on study and sample size. The research tool is a researcher-made questionnaire that includes two groups of internal and external factors as independent variables of research and the indicators of landscape variables as dependent variables. The results of the questionnaire analysis among 228 inhabitants of the study villages show that the landscape and physical landscape changes in most of the studied villages were above average and the most landscape changes were found in Rural Face Change Index. According to the results of Pearson correlation, it was found that there is a significant and direct relationship between internal and external factors with 0. 482 and 0. 555, respectively. The results of the structural model showed that the variables of national and transnational forces externally with the coefficient of 0. 312 had the greatest impact on the change of physical landscape.

Organic farming involves the use of indigenous knowledge and experiences and new scientific information to reduce or control use of different chemicals and drugs in the production of animal products, including organic milk, which is a flow and promising product produced in different countries across the world. The purpose of this study was to identify the potentials and prerequisites of organic milk production in rural and nomadic areas from the viewpoints of experts in Ardabil province. This study was a descriptive-correlation research in which statistical population consisted of experts from Organization of Jihade-Agriculture and consultancy-technical private companies in Ardabil province (N=200) out of which a sample of 130 people were selected in accordance with Krejtsy & Morgan sampling table. Stratified proportionate random sampling technique was applied to select the samples. For collecting data, a questionnaire was developed based on an information provided by literature review. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by expert judgment who were some people working in the area of organic production and faculty members of in the Department of Agricultural Management and Development in the University of Tehran. The reliability of the interview instrument was assessed by using Cronbach's alpha coefficient, its values were found between 0. 85 and 0. 94, respectively. The data analysis has identified five potentials viz., economic, environmental, technical, production and yield-related. The results also showed that seven basic requisites for organic milk production are social, economic, research, regulatory, institutional, education and awareness and policy implications. According to the results, Ardabil province has substantial potential for organic livestock production, including organic milk, which requires the creation of basic infrastructure in various fields.

The main purpose of present study was to investigate the effects of valued-cultural orientations (fatalistic, individualistic, egalitarian, and hierarchical) and environmental concern on farmers' soil conservation behavior. Present study is an applied research which was carried out though a cross-sectional survey. The statistical population under the study was the villages of Miandoab County (N= 22750) from which 378 farmers were selected as a sample using Krejcie and Morgan sampling table. A multi-stage stratified random sampling method was employed in order to select the samples. Research tool was a questionnaire which its validity confirmed by a panel of academic experts. A pilot test and Cronbach's alpha coefficients were used to examine the reliability of the questionnaire (0. 73≤ α ≤ 0. 91). The results revealed that environmental concern towards soil conservation had significant positive effect on soil conservation behavior of farmers. Moreover, egalitarian and hierarchical value orientations towards soil conservation had also significant and positive effects on environmental concern towards soil conservation. However, individualistic and fatalistic value orientations towards soil conservation had significant and negative effects on environmental concern towards soil conservation. The results revealed that independent variables within the framework could account for 42. 5 % of variance change in dependent variable (soil conservation behavior).

During the past 40 years, Iran has faced vast important demographic changes. Even though Iran has not experienced permanent stability after the Islamic revolution and constantly has dealt with matters such as war, threats, and sanctions, it has been homeward for refugees from neighboring and non-neighboring countries. These refugees originated from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan. Except for these three major groups, there are some immigrants from Turkey, Turkmenistan, Armenia, etc. that inhabit in rural and urban settlements in Iran. Moran's I statistic has been applied to determine the spatial pattern of location selection and local visualization of the pattern, Getis-Ord Gi* statistic employed. The results express that in both rural and urban areas, the aliens' location selection pattern is shifting from concentration to dispread. Furthermore, 33 zones in the hotspot have been found in the local survey of the population composition index, for rural areas. We have also observed 54 zones in the hotspot for urban areas.

Drought is among disasters that caused a large amount of financial burden to Iranian economy. However, drought management strategies have focused on crisis management instead of risk management. Drought risk management strategies take early warning system as a its focal point in order to disseminate information to drought-affected individuals which in turn reduces drought risk. The purpose of this qualitative study is to analyze mechanisms needed to deploy the production and diffusion of drought early warning system information in Kermanshah Township. Using case study as well as documentary approach, a critical case sample of 26 specialist from Meteorological, Agricultural Organization, Regional Water Company, Agricultural and Natural Resource Engineering System, Agricultural Bank, Regional Sound and Vision Broadcasting and Crisis Department and Municipalities participated in the study. The findings revealed that drought early warning system is not unified in a systematic manner and the stakeholders use their own method of disseminating information independently with limited knowledge of local context and poor knowledge of farmers’ needs and reactions. The findings of this study have implications to design drought early warning system in Kermanshah Province as well as farmers’ empowerment in terms of drought risk reduction.