The Role of Spatial Belonging on the Psychological Ability to Deal with Drought in the Central Part of Bavi County

Statement of the Problem: 

The agricultural and rural livelihood sector in Iran has faced successive droughts in recent years and has posed a major challenge to the sustainability of rural communities. Many rural households left rural areas due to the inability to cope with the drought and migrated to urban communities. Therefore, identifying the factors affecting mental ability in critical situations is of great importance.

The main aim of the present study was toinvestigate the role of spatial belonging on the psychological ability to deal with drought in the central part of Bavi County.

The statistical population of this study consisted of all rural households in Bavi County of Khuzestan province. Using the Cochran formula and the stratified proportional sampling method, 190 individuals were selected as the study sample. The data collection tool of the study was a questionnaire whose validity was confirmed by a panel of experts, and its reliability was established by calculating Cronbach's Alpha Coefficient (α > 0.7). Data analysis was done using SPSSwin18, Lisrel8.54,  and Arc GIS10.5 software.

The results of correlation analysis showed  a positive and significant relationship between all dimensions of the sense of spatial belonging (cognition of behavior, social bond, spatial identity, and emotional attachment) of the studied families and their psychological ability. The results of structural equation modeling showed that the dimension of rural spatial belonging with the coefficient of determination 0.46 (γ= 0.68, t= 5.46) had a positive and significant effect on the psychological ability of the households. Innovation: Considering that no research has been done in this field in Khuzestan province due to the unfavorable weather conditions, the present study is considered as an innovative aspect for the present study.