Application of Environmental Attitudes for Analyzing Water Conflict: The Case of Doroodzan Dam Irrigation Network

Human societies with different social activities and cultural characteristics have different values and attitudes toward the environment. Access and use of water as one the important natural resources has been the source of many conflicts. The agricultural sector is not exception from this rule. "Agricultural water conflict" is a term describing disputes and contrasts among stakeholders over an access to water resources in agricultural sector. The purpose of this paper was to investigate attitudes of farmers and water experts toward agricultural water conflicts. A descriptive, correlation method using a survey technique was fulfilled as a research method. The study was conducted in Doroodzan dam irrigation network zone in Fars province. Multistage stratified random sampling was used to collect data from 294 farmers as a first population and all of regional water experts who worked in Doroodzan dam irrigation network formed second population of this study (75 experts). The research tool included two questionnaires for farmers and experts. Findings revealed that those who have Egoistic view had higher levels of water conflict than other stakeholders as well as they had less attendance to environmental damage caused by water conflict. Path analysis findings of this study confirmed the causal relationship between environmental values, beliefs and norms toward water conflicts with the behavior of the agricultural water conflict. Also, findings showed that having pro-environmental values, to reduce water conflicts having environmental values is not adequate to reduce water conflict and it is necessary the stakeholders participate in water resource management and refuse from passive and avoidance strategy toward water resource management.