Role of non-governmental associations in the development of local community capacity to protect the rural environment (Case study: Chia green environment community)

Nowadays, in the modern approaches to rural, capacity building considered as a basic principle in the adoption and implementation of programs, and there is a great emphasis on activities of non-governmental associations in order to improve community capacities. Environment, as a ground for the activities and rural development, is one of the major fields of rural development which according to the unfavorable situation of its exploitation, environmental, non-governmental organizations, with promotional and educational activities scan play an effective role in promoting the capacities of local community in the conservation and sustainability of it. In this regard, in the present applied research, the role of the environmental NGO association, Chiya, has been measured in the development of the capacities of Marivan villagers in a descriptive - analytical approach. The result of this approach in the first place, is to explain the role of NGOs in capacity development of rural communities, to protect the environment and then a comprehensive understanding of the status quo, in order to provide practical solutions for achieving rural environmental sustainability through capacity development of the local community. Information gathered through documentary methods and field-based questionnaires distributed randomly among 250 heads of households in the received group and 160 heads of household (determined through Cochran's sample size) in the villages which has not received educational and promotional activities of non-governmental environmental association of Chiya. Data analysis through inferential statistics (Chi-square, Wilcoxon, t-test, Friedman, Pearson correlation) indicated that the effective role of Chiya NGO activities in capacity development of villagers to protect the environment in two periods: before and after the activity. Also there is a significant difference between the level of capacity development of the villages receiving and not receiving the educational and promotional activities of Chiya association in order to protect the rural environment.