فهرست مطالب masoud yazdanpanah

online social networks (OSNs) are considered as one of the achievements of the era of rapid advancements in ICT, the most popular social media and have been significantly welcomed. In the meantime, OSNs with wide distribution and high speed are suitable tools for these purposes, especially for farmers to achieve educational-extensional goals. However, not many studies have been conducted on the acceptance of these networks among farmers with educational-extensional goals. So, this research was conducted with the aim of investigating the factors influencing the use OSNs with educational-extensional activities among farmers in Khuzestan province in Iran by using the developed technology readiness index (TRI). Among the farmers of Khuzestan province, the number of usable completed questionnaires, which were collected through simple random sampling from 377 farmers as a research sample, was analyzed. In order to increase the strength of the index, the variable of social influence was added to the index. The collected data were analyzed with Smart PLS and SPSS software. The results of the structural equation model (SEM) showed that the variables of optimism, innovativeness had a positive and significant effect and discomfort and insecurity did not have effect on farmers' technology readiness index adoption regarding the use of OSNs for educational and extensional purposes. Also, the variable of social influence as a variable added to this index and had a significant effect on the farmers' technology readiness index adoption. The results of this research can open the way for the planners and experts of the agricultural sector.

Rice is one of the most important food sources for people in the world, so that more than 50% of the world’s population uses rice as a food source. The excessive use of energy, water, soil and chemical fertilizers by rice farmers has created many challenges for the environment. Most of the existing environmental challenges are rooted in the lack of necessary awareness and self-efficiency in the field of human-nature relationship. In recent years, much attention has been paid to environmental protection behaviors as one of the main factors affecting environmental protection. To change people's behavior, the prerequisites for changing behavior must be identified. Therefore, psychological theories can be widely used. The objective of this research was to model the socio-psychological factors affecting the use of organic fertilizers by paddy farmers.

This study is a quantitative research in term of nature, applied and practical in purpose, and descriptive correlation in data collection. The statistical population of this research included 4700 paddy farmers in Dezful country, Khuzestan province, Iran, in 2021. Sampling was performed by cluster method and the sample size was estimated to be 360 samples based on the Karjesi and Morgan table. The studied population is divided into four sections, Shahiun, Sardasht, Markazi, and Chaghamish, which Sardasht and Shahyoun sections were excluded due to their mountainous nature and the absence of paddy farmers, and sampling with tha same proportion was done only from the two sections, Markazi and Chaghamish. The main research tool was a researcher-made and pre-tested questionnaire. The formal and content validity of the questionnaire was based on expert’s opinions and the reliability of the questionnaire was evaluated using the Cronbach's alpha coefficient and composite reliability tests. The alpha value and the composite reliability for all sections was higher than 0.7 and 0.6, respectively. SPSS version 26 and Smart Pls software were used to analyze the data in two descriptive and inferential sections. For data analysis, frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation were used for the descriptive statistics section, and structural equation modeling was used for the inferential statistics section.

In this research, the theory of planned behavior was used as the theoretical framework of the research. The results are presented in two parts, measurement and structural model. The results from the measurement model showed that the measurement items were confirmed in terms of one-dimensionality of indicators, validity and reliability, and diagnostic validity. In the structural model section, after evaluating the fitted indices, the research hypotheses were tested. To evaluate the significance of the path coefficients (beta statistic), bootstrapping resumption method in two modes of 100 and 300 samples was used. The results showed that there was no change in the significance levels of the parameters in two cases. In the other words, the results were highly validity, because the significance of the relationships between the variables was not affected by the sample size, and only the value of the t-Student statistic changed. Therefore, it is possible to test the research hypotheses in the form of regression model. The results indicated that all research hypotheses are confirmed based on the predicted relationships. The results also showed that the research variables explained 60.5% of the application of organic fertilizers in rice cultivation among the studied paddy farmers.

The results of the current study showed that only economic factors should not be considered as variables predicting behavior, and social and psychological variables may also have a greater contribution. The results indicated that the theory used in this field was very efficient, and its variables including attitude, mental norms, perceived behavior control and willingness to use organic fertilizer in rice cultivation could explain more than 60% of the variance of paddy farmer’s behavior in this field. Explain the context. In total, since perceived behavior control was more important than other research variables, it is suggested to increase the self-efficiency level of paddy farmers in this field by holding workshops and training courses.

Today, most universities do not fully implement sustainable practices because there are barriers to their becoming green universities. Identifying the barriers on the way to the operationalization of sustainability in universities is very crucial because if the existing barriers are not identified, corrective measures cannot be taken to deal with them. The purpose of this research was to discover the barriers facing Ilam University in becoming a green university based on a case study research. The participants were 16 faculty members and 15 students of Ilam University who were selected through purposive sampling. The data collected from the semi-structured interview were coded and analyzed in the form of 140 concepts and 10 categories. Budget-oriented, cultural-social, educational, research, managerial, bureaucratic, infrastructural and strategic, psychological-attitudinal, human, environmental management and individual barriers were identified as barriers for Ilam University to become a green university. The results of this research can provide mechanisms and strategies to overcome these barriers and be useful for other universities considering their transition to sustainability. Some of the solutions this research recommends are attracting financial resources and income generation, increasing educational programs and empowering employees and students, promoting institutional commitment, and increasing research and cooperation related to environmental issues. In the end, the successful implementation of the Green Campus at Ilam University will be realized only with the combined efforts of all stakeholders

Agriculture as one of the major production activities in most countries of the world, especially developing countries, has a special place. One of the main obstacles to the growth and economic development of this sector is the lack of capital. The purpose of this research is to investigate the factors affecting farmers' satisfaction with the credits of the Agricultural Bank. The sample of this research includes 200 farmers of Baghmolek city, they were selected by simple random. Data collection in this research was done using a researcher-made questionnaire. After preparing the questionnaire and confirming its face validity by experts, its reliability was confirmed by calculating Cronbach's alpha coefficient for different research variables. The results of the research showed that the correlation test between the research variables has a positive and significant relationship. In the end, in order to increase the satisfaction of farmers with their agricultural bank credits, suggestions were presented.

Frequent occurrence of droughts in arid and semi-arid rural areas not only cause economic and social problems for farmer families but also affect their subjective well-being. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the farmers' subjective well-being during the drought. To do this Koohdasht’s farmers (N=23,600) were considered as the statistical population of which a sample including 379 farmers were selected using the cluster sampling technique. Data was collected using a questionnaire which its face validity was confirmed by a group of experts. To ensure of the reliability of the research instrument, a pilot study was carried out and the Cronbach's alpha coefficients were approved in an acceptable range. The findings revealed that while most households rely heavily on agriculture for their livelihoods, the impacts of drought on the basic resources of production have affected the subjective well-being of farmers. Also, the positive emotions and life satisfaction had the highest rank in measuring the subjective well-being of farmers. On the other hand, there was a significant difference between the subjective well-being of smallholder and non-smallholder, rainfed and irrigated, elderly and non-elderly, poor and non-poor farmers. Non-smallholders, irrigated, elderly, and wealthy farmers had higher subjective well-being. Based on the findings, recommendations were offered to increase the subjective well-being of farmers in the context of drought.

Currently, ICT has a tremendous impact on the efficiency of the educational system, and its usage is aimed at continuously training users in educational programs. The continuity of this education depends on the teachers' willingness to continue using ICT. Therefore, the present research was conducted with the aim of investigating the factors that affect the utilization of ICT by educators in the winter of2022. To achieve this objective, the GETAMEL model was utilized to explain the factors that predict Jihad Agricultural Organization teachers' behavior. Within this model, the constructs of enjoyment, subjective norms, self-efficacy, and anxiety are external factors that influence the constructs of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of the TAM theory. The statistical population of this research was the experts of agricultural jihad of Fars province who were the instructors of training courses and were selected using the multi-stage random cluster sampling method. The data collection tool was a questionnaire which content validity was confirmed by a panel of experts and its reliability was confirmed by the Ordinal theta coefficient (θ˃0.8). The data were analyzed using frequency, mean, SEM and, SPSS24 and, Smart-PLS3 software. The GETAMEL model successfully predicted 64% of the variance of ICT usage behavior. Additionally, the results indicated that perceived usefulness had a direct effect on self-efficacy, enjoyment, and subjective norms. Moreover, perceived ease of use directly influences subjective norms and inversely affects anxiety. The results of this research can be valuable in formulating policies to sustain educator's motivation to use ICT within agricultural education.

Aims  :

Many universities today have a significant impact on the economy, society and environment, because they resemble small cities in terms of size and population. Universities have an important responsibility in creating a vision for the future in the field of sustainable development. Facing important issues such as changing weather conditions and lack of environmental resources as well as environmental destruction, the mission of universities is to create a space for environmental restoration. The introduction of green practices in the development of universities is still in the early stages. Therefore, the current research has identified and classified the dimensions and components of the sustainable green University.

Methodology :

This study was conducted using the Delphi technique. Delphi panel members were 20 faculty members of Ilam University who were selected through purposeful sampling and using the snowball technique. Data analysis was done using SPSS v 26.

Findings:

 After two rounds of questionnaire distribution, the number of 91 components in 10 dimensions including green research, green organizational culture, green psychology, financing, green administration and accounting, campus sustainability, green education, green management, green specialized and social services, Evaluation, reporting, accountability, commitment and monitoring of sustainable development and provision of environmental information and green participation were identified for the establishment and development of the Green University.

Conclusion :

The main result of the current research is extracting and classifying the dimensions and components of green University according to the organizational and administrative structure of the country's universities. According to the changing and unique characteristics of the organizational structure and the way universities are run, this category helps universities and higher education institutions to take steps towards establishing a green university based on the most up-to-date components. Monitor and evaluate yourself on the way to becoming green.

Today, due to the effective role of higher education in building a knowledge economy, varied missions and expectations have been assigned to the university. Accordingly, the university must, with the long-term support of economic development through the production of knowledge, and the mechanism of technology transfer, affect the economies of countries and promote their economic prosperity. In this context, it is merely an entrepreneurial university that, as a third-generation university with a more Transcendental duty than traditional universities, ensures a better university capacity in response to changes and expectations, Such as improving the job skills of graduates and reducing the number of unemployed graduates, especially in agriculture. The Iranian agricultural sector, being one of the most important sectors of the economy, desperately needs to develop and improve, therefore, building Entrepreneurial Agriculture and Natural Resources University (EANRU) and making fundamental changes in current universities is more urgent. Therefore, this study aims to identify the necessities of creating a university using the qualitative paradigm. The statistical society was comprised of 37 faculty members of the Iranian Higher education Centers. Grounded theory was used to collect data. Snowball sampling method was used. The conceptual model of entailments for creating EANRU was developed after reaching the theoretical saturation, open coding, axial coding and eventually selective coding. Finally, practical suggestions for implementing the model were presented.

With the outbreak of Covid-19, tourism-related businesses in rural areas were affected by the restrictions imposed during the outbreak of this disease. The main purpose of this research was to examine the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of tourism-related rural businesses in the Corona epidemic in order to assess the internal and external aspects of tourism-related rural businesses and explain strategies for reducing the risks of Corona.

In the statistical population of the research, 12 experts, managers and key informants of the tourism sector of Mazandaran province were selected by purposeful sampling method. Data analysis was done through face-to-face and telephone semi-structured interviews and note taking through qualitative content analysis technique with an inductive approach and MAXQDA software. In order to determine validity, the triangulation technique including: the use of confirmatory sources, researchers and multiple methods during the process of data collection and analysis was used, Also, in order to ensure the reliability, the accuracy of conducting interviews, creating a structured process for conducting and interpreting interviews and forming a specialized committee have been used.

The research findings were presented in the form of four main themes (concepts) of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and 19 sub-themes (codes). The results of qualitative content analysis showed four strengths, five weaknesses, six opportunities and four threats in rural businesses related to tourism in the face of Corona. According to the research findings, extension of health culture and individual and group health, capacity building and empowerment of local communities, economic problems of income reduction and unemployment of people and the risk of tourism investment, respectively have been stated as the most important strengths, opportunities, weaknesses and threats. These results provide an opportunity to the managers and those involved in the development of rural tourism to provide the necessary conditions for reducing the risks of Covid-19 in various sectors of rural businesses and agriculture, as well as, the supply chain of agricultural products by removing the obstacles.

According to the research findings in order to management of tourism-related rural businesses, the importance of the tourism supply chain by diversifying tourism-related activities, paying attention to innovative approaches for healthy food tourism with the increasing role of consumer and tourist preferences, the use of new technologies in green tourism, development of electronic tourism services, development and support of knowledge-based and technological companies in the field of agricultural and rural tourism such as medicinal plants and forest tourism, allocation of financial aid and support facilities to create support and unemployment insurance for individual businesses of tourism activists, creating cooperatives and non-governmental and volunteer organizations specializing in local planning, developing community-oriented tourism projects and supporting the most vulnerable people in rural areas, are the most important ways to manage the risks of Corona in tourism-related businesses.

Wetlands are one of the most fertile and productive ecosystems on earth and are considered as the highest producers of aquatic ecosystems. From an ecological point of view, biodiversity, economic and social protection play an important role. Wetlands offer a variety of services to humans due to the value of performance and services such as: support, regulations, culture and security. They are of great importance. Khuzestan province has 7 wetlands, the most important of which are Shadegan and Hur al-Azim international wetlands. Unfortunately, in recent years, these wetlands have been facing a water shortage crisis, which is drying up day by day and is in danger of extinction. Occurrence of water shortage and drying of these two wetlands is due to natural and human factors. The most influential are human factors, the most important of which are: dam construction, oil exploration and exploitation, non-payment of wetlands, entry of agricultural and urban sewage, rural and industrial sewage, etc., which has reduced the performance of these two valuable wetlands . They are known as the center of dust phenomenon in Khuzestan province. This research is based on written sources and library studies.

Groundwater crisis has become a major problem in Lorestan province. Meanwhile, Aleshtar township is one of the cities affected by this crisis. While there are several reasons for the underlying groundwater crisis in the township, one of the most important challenges facing this township can be due to the institutional constraints by stakeholders involved in groundwater resources management. Thus, this study describes institutional constraints to groundwater resource management in Aleshtar using grounded theory approach. Participants were 24 key informants involved in the groundwater resources management in Aleshtar township that to select the samples, targeted sampling approach using snowball sampling technique was used. Thus, participants were interviewed in-depth and interviews were recorded and transcribed for qualitative analysis. In the present study, the result of open coding was the extraction of 170 concepts and 43 sub-categories. Based on the paradigm model, the core category identified in this research was “institutional structural and functional weakness” which found to be related to other categories of meanings. The result show that, the most important context conditions the occurrence of the phenomenon were “farmers weak financial vigor”, “cultural elements as barriers to groundwater resources management” and “traditional agriculture”. The results of research on the causal conditions affecting the occurrence of this phenomenon indicate “irregular and excessive harvesting of groundwater resources” and “weak control and monitoring” as the most important causes. In this study, “climate change” and "poor performance of secondary institutions involved in groundwater resources management" were among the most important intervening condition that have led to the intensification of the phenomenon. The most important action/interaction strategies of institutions to overcome the phenomenon were the sub-categories of “implementing water engineering and control” and “farmers participation”. Finally, implementing action/interaction strategies can have both positive and negative consequences. The most important positive consequences was “improvements to farming”. However, the most important negative consequences included “destruction of natural resources” and “occurrence of economic problems” and “occurrence of social problems”.

Encouraging households to adopt residential water conservation behaviors, as an efficient strategy for sustainable water supply, has caught the attention of water demand management. However, the success of such policies depends on the voluntary acceptance of these measures by urban households. Considering the important role of psychology in explaining human behavior, the present research explored the key socio-psychological factors underlying the household adoption of WCBs and how these behaviors can be explained by expanding the theory of planned behavior via adding the habit variable to the TPB’s main model. In the current study, which focuses solely on water curtailment behaviors (behavioral conservation), 343 Isfahan citizens participated. In this regard, a cross-sectional survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire, as a research instrument, and the structural equation modeling method was also applied for data analysis. The results revealed that, by adding the habit variable to the TPB's main model, the extended model can predict 75% and 51% in the variance of intention to adopt water curtailment behaviors and water curtailment behaviors, respectively. Based on the findings, the attitude and perceived behavioral control variables had a significant positive relationship with intention, whereby attitude had the most predictive power of intention to adopt water curtailment behaviors. Moreover, the habit and intention variables were significantly and positively related to water curtailment behaviors, of which habit was the most important determinant of behavior. However, subjective norm had no significant relationship with intention, and perceived behavioral control was not significantly related to behavior. Finally, policymakers are advised to develop and implement awareness-raising and education campaigns aimed at (1) creating positive attitude toward WCBs among urban households, (2) increasing their self-efficacy and self-confidence in performing these actions, and (3) improving and/or changing their water conservation habits in order to improve WCBs among urban households.

In order to identify the perceptual and cognitive processes, considering both groups of men and women farmers is important to encourage the adaptation to climate change. In this study, to investigate the factors affecting the adaptive behavior of men and women farmers in Baghmalek county, located in Khuzestan province, a developed model of conservation motivation was used. The research population consisted of two groups of men and women farmers. The number of sample members was selected using Krejcie and Morgan table of 200 men and 150 women farmers. Random stratified cluster multistage sampling was used to select farmers. The data collection tool was a questionnaire whose face validity was confirmed by the faculty members of the Department of Agricultural Extension and Education. In addition, to determine the degree of reliability, pre-test and Cronbach's alpha coefficient were used. The results of the structural equation model analysis showed that the variables of perceived knowledge, response cost and descriptive norm are variables affecting the intentions of men farmers in a positive and direct way and behavior in a positive and indirect way and these variables were finally able to predict 67 and 45% of the changes in the variables of intention and behavior of men farmers, respectively. Perceived severity variables of intensity, response cost, belief in climate change and habit are variables affecting the intentions of women farmers in a positive and direct way and behavior in a positive and indirect way. And these variables were able to predict 70 and 25% the changes in the variables of women farmers' intentions and behavior.

Employee’s satisfaction is a pivotal factor in the success of the organization. As such, this study was conducted to investigate Jihad-Keshavarzi Staff’s satisfaction and factors which determine it in Khouzestan Province. This research used satisfaction model as research framework. The statistical population of this research was formed by the experts of the Jihad-Keshavarzi Organization in the center of Khuzestan province (N = 500). 217 experts were selected based on the table of Krejci and Morgan. The sample people were studied using simple random sampling method. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire, whose formal and content validity was confirmed by a group of professors and experts. In addition, to determine the level of reliability, the pre-test was used and confirmed by calculating Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS 24 and Amos 24 software. The result reveals that organization image and commitment to organization determine perceived value and motivation and personal characteristics determine staff’s satisfaction. Based on the research findings some applicable recommendations have been presented toward staff's job satisfaction

Climate change is increasingly affecting people's livelihoods around the world and is considered as an important challenge at the global level; in fact, it is an important factor in aggravating social inequalities, especially gender inequalities. Women in the world are not only known as a vulnerable group in front of climate changes but also they are considered an effective factor in creating changes in relation to adaptation. Therefore, there is a need for research on the factors influencing the intention and behavior of farmers to adapt to climate change from the perspective of women and men. This study addresss this important issue using the developed model of health beliefs. The statistical population of this research included both male and female farmers. The number of sample members using Karjesi and Morgan Table included 200 male farmers and 150 female farmers. Random stratified cluster multistage sampling was used to select the farmers. The data collection tool was a questionnaire which its face validity was confirmed by the faculty members of the Department of Agricultural Extension and Education. In addition, to determine the degree of reliability, pre-test and Cronbach's alpha coefficient were used. The results of the structural equation model analysis showed that the variables guiding action, self-efficacy, social support, motivation and perceived obstacles were the variables which would affect the male farmers' intention in a positive and direct way and would affect their behavior in a positive and indirect way. Finally, these variables could predict 53 and 37% of the changes in the variables of male farmers' intention and behavior, respectively. Action guiding variables, perceived intensity and self-efficacy were found to be the variables influencing the intention of female farmers in a positive and direct way and their behavior in a positive and indirect way. These variables in total were 63 and 19 respectively to predict the percentage of changes in the variables of intention and behavior of female farmers. The data obtained in this research and the understanding of such gender differences can facilitate the development of gender-sensitive policies and programs  to improve sustainable and inclusive adaptation strategies.

Social networks are important for governance of natural resource management. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the interactions and communication patterns among the network of related institutions in the governance of integrated management of agricultural water resources.

To study the governance social network, a network of cooperation interactions between institutions and organizations involved in the governance activities of the integrated management of agricultural water resources in Mazandaran province was extracted. Initially, using the method of archival research (study of written sources and previous research), direct observation as well as unstructured interviews with experts and knowledgeable people in the field of integrated management governance of agricultural water resources, Twenty-two institutions and organizations that participated in various activities of governance of the interconnected management in agricultural water resources in Mazandaran province were identified and in fact determine the social boundary of the network. Data collection was required to form a matrix of the intensity of cooperation relations in the cooperation network of organizations related to the governance of integrated management of agricultural water resources based on the process of conducting semi-structured interviews and completing the relevant questionnaires. UCINET6.631 and Net draw software were used for data analysis.

The link density index of cooperation is moderate, the network concentration index based on internal and external links shows that about one third of the links formed are monopolized by a certain number of institutions. The reciprocity index of links is moderate, the index of link Transitivity is weak between the relevant institutions, and the index of the average geodetic distance or the shortest distance between two actors in this network indicates the average to low speed of the link in the network. Also, in the study area, the number of institutions that are under the central group is more than the number of institutions that are under the peripheral group.

 The results of this research in Mazandaran watershed showed that the sector approach in water resources management has led to the rule of special institutions, and finally, this approach sets policy goals without considering the stakeholders of water resources, which causes contradictions between stakeholders in the governance of water resources. Therefore, it is proposed to provide legal and incentive mechanisms for greater participation and cooperation of marginalized organizations in the processes of decision-making, decision-making and implementation in the form of membership in joint working groups, inter-agency agreements, joint projects and exchange of resources between agencies should be developed at the provincial level to balance power among all stakeholders.

Incorrect use of chemical fertilizers has had significant consequences on the quality of the environment as well as human welfare. Therefore, limiting its release may be achieved by improving fertilizer management. In this regard, farmers, as the main actors and decision makers in the agricultural sector, will have the task of limiting the use of nitrogen fertilizer and thereby reducing its effects. Therefore, understanding farmers' actions is essential to identify the types of policies that can effectively promote social and technological change. Because developing behavior and promoting the knowledge of environmentalists is an important issue for policymakers, advocates of green businesses and other stakeholders interested in adopting and enhancing environmental protection behavior. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the behavior of farmers in Ramshir region regarding nitrogen fertilizer application and its determinants factors. To achieve the research goal, two theories of normative activation and environmental behavior prediction were used. The data were collected through survey technique using a structured questionnaire. Validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by faculty members of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University of Khuzestan. Reliability of questionnaire was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha test. The sampling method was based on systematic random sampling. Based on the Kerjesi and Morgan table, a sample of 200 farmers was selected among farmers who had received fertilizer from Ramshir Agricultural Jihad Management Organization in year 2018- 2019. The results of the study showed that in the normative activation theory, effectiveness, responsibility, awareness of consequences and subjective norms explain ethical norm variable and the behavior of farmers is significantly explained by the ethical norm variable. In the environmental behavior prediction theory, the variable of intentions was explained by awareness of action strategies and personality factors. Based on the results of the research, suggestions were presented to improve the implementation of the policies in order to better use nitrogen fertilizers.

The proportion of residential electricity consumption in the total energy consumption has increased rapidly in the past decades all over the world. Understanding the role of psychological factors in the field of electricity protection behavior in promoting energy saving behaviors and reducing environmental pollution is very important for the sustainable development of a country. In this study, in order to investigate the factors affecting the behavior of electrical protection, the norm activation model was used. The statistical population of the study consists of rural households in Baghmalek and Hamidiyeh counties in Khuzestan province (N = 8450). Using Cochran's formula, a sample of 440 households was determined and households were selected by multi-stage random cluster sampling. The data collection tool was a questionnaire whose face validity was confirmed by experts including two groups of faculty members of the Department of Agricultural Extension and Education and experts of the Water and Electricity Organization. In addition, to determine the reliability of different parts of the questionnaire, pre-test and calculation of Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used, which was between 0.72 to 0.92 and was confirmed. In order to analyze the data for descriptive statistics, correlation and regression, SPSS (V20) software was used. The results of correlation test showed that the behavior variable has a positive and significant relationship with the variables of awareness of consequences, self-efficacy, situational responsibility, moral norm, awareness of needs, feelings of pride and guilt. In general, the results of this study showed that moral norms, feelings of guilt and feelings of pride affect the behavior of rural households towards electricity protection. The results of this study have important implications for policymakers who aim to promote a wide range of electricity -saving behaviors.

Land use change is a major challenge to agricultural production that has intensified in recent years. The problem will in the long run have severe economic, social, and environmental repercussions for rural areas and beyond. Identification of the many factors involved allows for effective policies to be formulated and executed in order to reduce the adverse impacts. It is the purpose of this qualitative study to analyze the factors affecting agricultural land use change in Bavi County, Khuzestan. The statistical population used in this study comprises local farmers who committed either authorized or unauthorized land use changes. Sampling is accomplished using the ’snowball’ method and data are collected through interviews with users. Analysis of the data thus collected reveals that economic, social, legal, and regulatory factors as well as indiscriminate spatial development may be identified as the causes underlying agricultural lands use changes. Based on the results obtained, recommendations are finally formulated to improve upon the current indiscriminate land use change in the study area.

Agriculture and water resources are vulnerable to global climate change. Agricultural and farming practices should, therefore, adapt to the changing environment in order to avoid or to alleviate related risks. The aim of this study was determinate of farmers' adaptation behaviors in facing with the water scarcity by using the protection motivation theory and cognitive theory of stress model. Statistical population was farmers of Shoushtar Township in Khouzestan province. The sample size was determined and selected using the Bartlett table (n-251) and Random sampling. the present study collected data through a nationwide self-administered questionnaire. The face validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by a panel of experts. The questionnaire’s internal reliability was investigated using the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. All scales indicated a good-to excellent reliability index (0.6–0.88). The results of structural equation modeling analysis revealed that in protection motivation theory, the response efficacy, collective efficacy and response cost regarding climate change were significant predictors of adaptation behavior. Protection motivation theory can explain approximately 33%, of the variance in pro environmental behavior. The results of cognitive theory of stress analysis showed, demand appraisal, self-efficacy and collective efficacy have direct effect on Problem-focused Coping and coping has direct effect on adaptation. the explanatory power of this model explained 28% of the variance in adaptation behavior. Moreover, the results revealed that demand appraisal, self-efficacy and collective efficacy indirectly and significant relationship with adaptation.

Adaptation to stress is very important to support livelihoods and ensure food security. However, the type of adaptation strategies varies between regions and their socioeconomic and agroecological contexts. Identifying and classifying empirical data-based adaptation methods can help design and implement incentives, rules, or institutional reforms. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to classify and identify types of adaptation to water stress using a qualitative method, Grounded theory. Techniques used to collect data include direct observation, semi-structured interviews, and field notes. Based on the research findings, adaptation strategies were divided into 4 general groups, including changes in agricultural operations, irrigation management, financial and economic management, and social management. Agricultural operations management methods, in turn, include two subcategories of crop management and farm management. Irrigation management includes water-saving and water supply methods. In addition, economic management methods include diversifying income or employment, agricultural insurance, saving money, and receiving loans or credits. Social management has two subcategories of migration and networking and knowledge expansion in order to increase awareness about harm reduction methods.

The main purpose of this study was to discover the obstacles to the water conservation behavior of farmers through Grounded Theory in Neyshabur plain. The participants consist of the leading farmers in Neyshabur plain, which were selected by purposeful sampling (30 participants). The data were collected through observation, semi-structured interviews, field notes, and documents. Data were coded and analyzed in 74 concepts and 22 categories. In the coding step, the paradigm model considers the lack of water conservation behavior (the main phenomenon), beliefs and misconceptions, fatalism, lack of understanding and responsibility for water scarcity as causal conditions of this phenomenon; dispersal of agricultural lands, financial-economic constraints, planning and government's poor management, lack of partnership and collective agreement, lack of education, lack of trust in experts and government officials from the main contexts of this phenomenon and lack of self-esteem farmers, weak supportive policies of the government, lack of communication between experts and farmers, and lack of livelihoods and benefits for farmers as interfering conditions. Irrigation infrastructure development, creating job security, changing the cultivation pattern, providing educational programs and government banking, and financial support were identified as strategies for this phenomenon. The consequences of this phenomenon were migration from rural to urban areas and institutionalization of water conservation behavior among farmers. The results of this study can provide mechanisms and strategies to remove barriers to agricultural water conservation behavior and perform more water conservation behavior.

The results of binary logistic regression showed that the factors of education, distance to the center of agricultural services, number of products, self-efficacy, risk-taking and Family social capital were factors affecting job and income diversification. Also, marital status, education, membership in a cooperative, the intention to water conservation, social risk perception, self-efficacy, risk-taking, environmental attitudes, Community engagement, and the Family linkage have been affected on extra water purchase. marital status, environmental risk perception, risk salient, responsibility, work trust, and the family linkage were factors affecting water channels repair and variables of the number of products, intention to water conservation, risk-taking, trust, and Community Engagement have been affected on the use of unconventional water resources are abnormal. age, cooperative membership, intention to water conservation, environmental risk perception, economic risk perception, environmental risk perception, self-efficacy, risk salient, informal association (with friends and family), work trust and institutional trust have been effective on the cultivation of early-stage crops.

A spectacular increase in groundwater use for irrigation has taken place during the last half-century in most arid and semiarid countries especially Iran. Iran is currently among the top groundwater miners in the world. In fact, if the prevailing anarchy continues, serious problems may appear in the long term and the situation could become more tragic in the near future. While there are several reasons for the underlying groundwater crisis in the country, one of the most important challenges facing the country can be due to the institutional constraints by stakeholders involved in groundwater resources management. Thus, this study describes institutional constraints to groundwater resource management using Strauss and Corbin’s approach. Participants were 16 key informants involved in the groundwater resources management in Roumeshkan township. To select the samples, snowball sampling method was used. Thus, participants were interviewed in-depth and interviews were recorded and transcribed for qualitative analysis by Strauss and Corbin’s Grounded Theory. In the present study, encoding the collected data in different ways resulted in the extraction of 144 concepts and 41 sub-categories. Based on the paradigm model, the core category identified in this research was “mismanagement of groundwater resources” which was found to be related to other categories of meaning.

Ensuring water security in the face of population growth and resource scarcity has posed a serious challenge for policymakers in urban areas and led them to water demand management (WDM) approaches. Water conservation as a key factor in WDM is an effective solution to the sustainable urban water supply that includes two categories: water curtailment behaviors and water-efficiency behaviors. Given that the voluntary acceptance of water conservation behaviors by individuals, understanding the psychological determinant processes of these behaviors is an important aspect in designing effective policies and interventions in this area. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate factors affecting water conservation intentions and behaviors among Tehran citizens using the theory of planned behavior (TPB). The data collected using both online and offline surveys (N=820) in Tehran by a structured questionnaire, which its validity was confirmed by experts, and its reliability was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Data analyze conducted through the structural equation modeling. Based on the results, the TPB can explain 83% and 40% of the variance in water curtailment intentions and behaviors, respectively, and 57% and 37% of the variance in water-efficiency intentions and behaviors, respectively. The results also suggested attitude and perceived behavioral control affect the intention regarding both behaviors, but subjective norm does not affect the intention for both behaviors. In addition, the results revealed that both behaviors influenced by intentions and perceived behavioral control. Finally, based on the results, implications for improving residential water conservation and suggestions for future research are provided.