Effect of MENARID plan on rural development (Case study: Rezin region, Iran)

Rural development programs worldwide place great importance on water and soil conservation, and the success of these programs rests heavily on practical cooperation between local communities and local authorities. Accordingly, the MENARID project was implemented to develop and protect rural soil and water resources as a combined plan in the Rezin region of Kermanshah province in Iran.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of the MENARID project on rural development in the studied area, which was conducted as a practical survey using a questionnaire. According to the Cochran formula, the sample size was up to 100 people through systematic random selection.

Our results revealed that the MENARID project has significantly impacted the local economy and environment and expanded rural employment opportunities. In addition, this plan has led to an increase in rural women participating more in the community and producing local products. Moreover, factor analysis results showed that three components were effective: local infrastructure, empowerment, and indigenous participation in the MENARID project. The regression analysis also revealed that indigenous peoples' involvement was crucial to the MENARID project's success.

Our results revealed that the MENARID was successfully implemented. This project has improved the protection of water and soil resources. In addition, other results have been achieved, such as improving rural women's contribution, local economy, entrepreneurship development, job creation, and empowerment of women in an agrarian society.