Identification of Factors Affecting Sustainable Management of Agricultural Water Resources from the Viewpoint of Farmers (Case Study: Wheat Farmers of Maragheh County)

 The purpose of this study was to identify factors affecting sustainable management of agricultural water resources through a survey method.  

To achieve the research goal, correlation and multiple regression tests were used. The statistical population of the study was irrigated wheat farmers of Maragheh villages (N = 240). Using Morgan table, the sample size was 149 persons. In order to obtain samples in this study, stratified random sampling method was used.  

According to the results of correlation test, the relationship between measures related to sustainable management of agricultural water resources with cultivation level and direct and significant income level and with membership variable in rural organizations was inverse and significant. The results of multiple regression showed that the variables of economic, educational, promotional, social and agronomic factors have the ability to explain 0.57% of dependent variable changes, ie measures related to sustainable management of agricultural water resources.  

Without providing sufficient information and knowledge and raising the level of awareness of wheat farmers cannot be expected to take steps to implement measures related to sustainable water management. In other words, it seems that the precondition and the initial step to guide farmers towards optimal and sustainable management of water resources is to pay attention to educational factors and provide the necessary conditions for the effective implementation of mechanisms related to this factor.