Analysis of Factors Affecting the Success of Water Users Associations (WUAS): The Perspective of Farmers of Karkheh Zone in Khuzestan Province

Water User Associations are Water Management Institutions which manage and regulate water at alocalized level. The purpose of this study was to analyze the factors that affect success of (WUAs)from the perspective of farmers in Karkheh zone in Khuzestan province. The population of this studywere the five active associations of Karkheh zone with total of 1219 members and sample was selected sing the Morgan table (n=300).The study used a descriptive survey design. The research instrument ncluded questionnaire. Validity of the instrument was confirmed by a panel of the expert of gricultural extension and education and reliability was determined by Cranach’s alpha for different uestionnaire scales including management (88%), social-cultural (84%), participatory (78%) and upport from government factors. The result of factor analysis identified five main factors named: ocial- cultural (40.2), technical skills (5.4), management (4.2), awareness (3.4) and support from overnment factors affecting the success of WUAs. These factors explained 56.6 of the total variance f dependent variable. The results of Correlation tests showed that there are significant relationships etween ages, irrigation farms, register recode of the WUAs, education level, type of land ownership, ocation of irrigated farm and utilization of communication channels with the factors affecting success f WUAs.