VILLAGE AND DEVELOPMENT
Year:2019 | Volume:22 | Issue:1 (85) |Papers Count:10

Unemployment serves as one of the basic problems of Iran, particularly in rural areas. Rural businesses play an important role in reducing the unemployment and rural migration and generally sustainable rural development. This study aimed to analyze factors affecting the willingness of the non-farming rural business owners to develop economic activities in rural areas. It was a quantitative research in terms of nature, an applied research in terms of purpose, a non-experimental in terms of the control variables, a survey in terms of data collection, and a causative research in terms of method of data analysis. The statistical population included 120 rural business owners in Malekan County of Iran. A questionnaire was set to collect data, the reliability and stability of which were confirmed by a panel of experts and Cranach's alpha coefficient, respectively. The results of discriminant analysis showed that the variables of resilience of business owners, attachment to the village, social capital, resilience of business lifespan, and owners’ satisfaction of business services had the highest impacts on the willingness of rural business owners to develop their economic activities in rural areas.

Over recent decades, forests of Zagros vegetative area have been exposed to various dangers and severely destroyed in recent years. Today, the importance of local stakeholders’ participation for the preservation and regeneration of forest areas is inxreasingly evident in diferrent executive and research administrations. Therefore, this study was accomplished based on Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) method and for the evaluation of the rural people's participation in the planning and management process of the Bankoul forest area in Ilam province of the country. Research data were collected through techniques such as brainstorming, group discussion and semi-structured questionnaire. Then, using SWOT and ANP methods, the factors were evaluated and the strategies were prioritized. The statistical population consisted of three villages in the studied area. In this study, using the SWOT method, first, strengths and weaknesses (internal factors) and opportunities and threats (external factors) were identified; then, eight participatory management strategies of the Bankoul forest area were formulated, out of which conservative strategies (the assignment of forest areas management to beneficiaries and the development of exploitation cooperatives from forest) with a total score of 0. 212 were selected as superior strategies. In addition, competitive strategies with 0. 145, offensive strategies with 0. 116, and defensive strategies with 0. 098, were placed in the next ranks, respectively.

In this research, local capacities of Bangelayan village in Bandar Abbas County of Iran were measured on the basis of two concepts of tourism product and community-based ecotourism in order to provide ecotourism for tourists. It was an applied study in terms of purpose, a descriptive-analytical study in terms of methodology and a quantitative-qualitative study in terms of data nature. The required data was collected by calculating the indices in two dimensions of field studies through questionnaires (359 tourists and 15 elite and experts) and the obtained information of relevant organizations. The sample size was measured by Cochran's formula and simple random sampling of tourists as well as elite and expert questionnaires according to the questioner's view and the snowball sampling. The reliability of questionnaire was also calculated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The study results showed that Bangelayan village had a number of good capacities for ecotourism development in terms of tourism attractions and social conditions, but the lack of facilities and services as well as weaknesses of organizations and institutions had caused the area to have low penetration, durability and tourism density coefficients.

Agricultural insurance is one of the most practical responses of farmers to possible losses, increasing the social and economic security of the rural people. This study aimed at exploring the solutions of agricultural insurance development in Iran. This applied research was conducted in a survey method. The statistical population of the study consisted of brokers of the Agricultural Insurance Fund. The sample size was estimated 244 by the Cochran formula, selected through a multi-stage sampling. The questionnaire validity was confirmed through an experts panel and its reliability was calculated by Cronbach's alpha (α = 0. 87). The study results showed that the most important solutions included increasing farmers' awareness about the importance of insurance and timely fulfillment of the obligations of the insurance fund. In addition, exploratory factor analyses could explain 44. 67 percent of the total variance in four categories including policy-administrative, educational-information, facilitation-logistic, and socio-cultural approaches. Accordingly, educational and communication strategies for two groups of audiences and agents, application of ICT in the administrative system, the strengthening of financial resources and equipment of the private sector, development of methods of actuary and R&D, use of educated rural people as local brokers were recommended.

This study aimed at investigating the rural entrepreneurship capacities in the villages of Bonab County of Iran. It was a descriptive-analytic research using documents and field studies to collect data through a questionnaire. The statistical population of the study included 12369 rural households living in villages of Bonab. Using the Cochran formula and random sampling, 372 households were selected as the sample. Data analysis was performed using inferential statistics and multi-attribute decision-making models. The study results showed that institutional-structural variables with an effect of 0. 849, economic 0. 833, social 0. 813 and environmental 0. 805, respectively, had priorities on the rural entrepreneurship development. The results from the use of TOPSIS, VIKOR, ANP and Copland models showed that villages such as Akhond Gheshlagh and Zavosht, densely populated and close to city center, had more local capacities for entrepreneurship development. Finally, according to the research findings, a number of practical recommendations were presented.

This study aimed at investigating the role of free trade zones in improvement of economic indexes in rural areas of Makou County in Iran. It was an analytical-explanative survey. Sample size was determined based on the Cochran’ s formula and the required data were collected through questionnaires. Content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by professors and experts and its reliability was determined based on Cronbach's alpha (0. 85-0. 91). The studied population consisted of all the rural people up 15 years old residing in rural areas of free trade zone in Makou County (N= 4689), among whom 400 persons were selected as thr statistical sample. Thus, 200 questionnaires were distributed among the villages situated at Makou free zone and 200 questionnaires were distributed among the villages far from Makou free trade zone in the comparative method. The results of statistical tests showed that there was a statistically significant positive relationship between all the studied variables and the improvement of economic indexes in the rural areas. Also, the results of spatial analysis showed that the role of free trade zone in the reinforcement of economic indexes among 25 percent of the villages was at a high level, 41 percent at a medium level and others at a weak level. Finally, according to the study results, a number of recommendations were presented.

This study aimed at explaining the extent of rural development in Baneh border County. It was an applied research, conducted in a descriptive-analytical method, relying on documents and desk studies and using Fuzzy and Gray Techniques. The statistical population included all the rural areas of Baneh County that were examined and analyzed under 59 components. The study results indicated a general deprivation of the county as a whole, so that even the most benefited sub-district in this county (with a factor of 0. 35) was far away from a moderate normal level of development. The results also showed that the distribution of resources and rural facilities in the county did not follow any regular pattern and regulations, while the areas near the borders were even more deprived in terms of the rural development, compared to other studied areas. Finally, it was suggested that the indicators of communication, health, education and infrastructure, respectively, with the least amount of access in the county might be prioritized in planning policies.