جستجوی مقالات مرتبط با کلیدواژه "zanjan province" در نشریات گروه "کشاورزی"

Hunger is defined as a feeling of discomfort or physical pain resulting from inadequate dietary energy intake and becomes chronic when a person does not regularly consume enough calories for a healthy and active life. FAO defines food insecurity as the lack of access to sufficient safe and nutritious food for an active and healthy life, due to lack of resources or food availability (8). Quantitatively, food insecurity is defined as consuming less than 80% of the average calorie requirement recommended by the World Health Organization (25). Resilience has been described as the process of effective adaptation to adversity and threats (16). This concept helps to understand society as a changing system with an unpredictable environment and provides responses to anticipate, identify and cope with threats (5). Several studies have examined the impact of drought and climate change on food security. Drought reduces food security by reducing agricultural production and increases food imports (20). Climate change has had a significant negative impact on food security (21). Several factors, such as family size, income diversification, livestock ownership, use of improved seeds, and access to credit and assistance, affect the resilience of rural households (4). Due to its location in the arid climate belt, Iran faces a lack of rainfall, limited water resources, and frequent droughts (23). Agricultural activities in the country are highly dependent on weather conditions, and climate change is reducing the yield of rainfed crops, rangeland capacity, and livestock production (24). This situation, along with the consequences of past droughts, indicates a lack of adequate preparedness to deal with this natural hazard (26). In Zanjan province, drought is a gradual threat, the impact of which has become more noticeable, especially in agriculture, and has even caused the evacuation of some rural settlements (13, 22). Given the dependence of rural livelihoods on agriculture, the occurrence of drought is likely to reduce household resilience to food insecurity. The aim of this study is to assess the level of resilience and identify key indicators affecting the resilience of rural settlements in Mahneshan township to food insecurity under drought conditions.

 After introducing the study area, considering the size of the area and the diversity of natural conditions, 30 villages were selected as a random sample (Table 1). The present study is applied in terms of its descriptive-analytical nature and the statistical population of the study is 30 villages in Mahneshan township, Zanjan Province (Fig 1). The data collection method was library-based and the spatial analysis tools of GeoDa software were used to analyze the data. The measured variables include food insecurity (FGT Index), resilience indices (Table 2) and drought status (Table 3). In this study, raw data from the Rural Household Expenditure and Income Survey of the Statistical Center of Iran from 2006 to 2022 were used to investigate and measure the amount of food insecurity. In the continuation of the current research and in order to investigate the correlation between drought and food insecurity, after interpolation of the SPI index, the numerical point values ​​of each village were extracted using Arc GIS software and their correlation with the food insecurity index was calculated in Excel software.

The drought situation was examined from 2006 to 2022, and during this period, 7 mild wet, 7 mild droughts and 3 moderate droughts occurred (Fig 2). The average food insecurity index was 44.7%, the lowest was in Yousefabad village with 23.4%, and the highest was in Ebrahimabad village with 79.3% (Table 4). The correlation between drought and food insecurity showed that in some years the correlation was direct and weak and in some years it was negative and weak (Table 5). The economic dimension indices showed that the relationship between all indices except for the dependency ratio (P-value=0.735) was positive and significant. The highest effect is in the indicators of dependency ratio (R2=0.314), employment rate (R2=0.288) and the lowest effect is in the indicators of per capita large livestock and production coefficient (R2=0.001), Gibbs-Martin and Location Quotient (R2=0.003) (Table 6). Examination of the indicators of the social dimension showed that the relationship of all indicators except the female literacy rate (P-value=-0.082) is positive and significant. The highest effect is in the indicators of sex ratio (R2=0.208) and population growth 1966-2016 (R2=0.065) and the lowest effect is in the indicators of natural population growth rate (R2=0.001) and household size (R2=0.002) (Table 7). Examination of the indicators of the environmental-physical dimension showed that the relationship of all indicators is positive and significant. The highest effect is in the indicators of percentage of reinforced housing (R2=0.063) and percentage of unauthorized wells (R2=0.057), and the lowest effect is in the indicators of faults and earthquakes, housing with structural framework (R2=0.000), households per housing unit density and percentage of newly built housing (R2=0.001) (Table 8).

Food insecurity has increased with the increase in dependency ratio, unemployment percentage, average orchards, and structural change and has decreased with the increase in economic participation, employment rate and average rainfed land (Fig 3). Changes in land use in favor of industrial development have reduced agricultural land, reduced food production, and increased food insecurity. Although structural change is usually associated with economic growth, its uneven management can increase food insecurity. More employment brings financial security, better access to food, and reduced food insecurity, while increased dryland area increases production and crop diversity, helping to reduce food insecurity. Food insecurity has decreased with the increase in the youth population percentage, sex ratio, and overall literacy rate and with the increase in the sub-indices of population growth, the food insecurity index has increased (Fig 4). An increase in the youth population can help reduce food insecurity by boosting production, improving productivity, adopting new technologies, and increasing awareness. The impact of the sex ratio index on food insecurity depends on economic, social, and cultural conditions. Also, increasing the literacy of the community helps reduce food insecurity by empowering individuals in various fields. However, increasing population growth may lead to increased food insecurity by increasing demand for food, pressure on natural resources, and competition for resources. With an increase in the percentage of percentage of reinforced housing, food insecurity decreases and with an increase in the percentage of unauthorized wells and the persons per room density, the food insecurity index increases (Fig 5). Increasing the number of reinforced housing and improving the economic conditions of households can help reduce food insecurity. On the other hand, an increase in unauthorized wells has negative effects on water resources, agriculture, the environment, and food insecurity. Proper management of groundwater resources and prevention of unauthorized well drilling helps reduce food insecurity. The difference between the current study and previous studies is that many of the indicators evaluated in the current study, such as agricultural commercialization, Gibbs-Martin, location quotient, spatial continuity, mechanization coefficient, production coefficient, population aging, slope, persons per room density, faults and earthquakes and development, have not been considered.

Given the negative consequences caused by excessive use of chemical inputs in conventional agriculture, especially on human health and the environment, the production of healthy crops as one of the main solutions of sustainable agriculture has received the attention of policymakers and planners in recent years. However, the path of development of this type of crops is not smooth and faces many difficulties. Considering the importance of the issue, this study was conducted with the aim of analysis of barriers and constraints of healthy potato production in Zanjan Province. The participants in the research were key experts and informants in Zanjan Province among which a suitable number were selected through purposive snowball sampling method. The individual and group un-structured interviews were used to collect the data, and the interviews were continued until data saturation was reached (after conducting 32 interviews). The collected data were analyzed by MAXQDA software using qualitative content analysis. The credibility and confirmability of the data were examined to ensure the validity of data obtained from interviews and the accuracy of the findings. The results showed that the main barriers and constraints of the production of healthy potato in Zanjan Province were classified into 48 concepts and nine categories, among which three categories of economic issues and lack of sufficient credit support (17.6 percent), management and legal issues (14.4 percent), and weak infrastructure and support (14.2 percent) were the most important, respectively. Moreover, in terms of the identified concepts, the most important barriers and constraints of healthy potato production were included the low yield level of healthy potato production (3.8 percent), lack of economic justification for healthy potato production (3.7 percent), high cost of conducting tests related to the issuance of certificate of compliance with the permissible limit of pollutants (3.5 percent), the difficulty and time-consuming legal procedures to obtain a certificate of healthy potato (3.5 percent), and lack of proper labels and packaging for healthy potato (3.5 percent).

Despite the undeniable role of women in achieving sustainable rural development, and considering that empowerment is the key to sustainable development, the evidence shows that there are numerous obstacles on the way to rural women's empowerment especially in the economic dimension. Therefore, this survey research was conducted with the aim of analyzing the inhibitors to the rural women's economic empowerment. The statistical population of this research was all the women aged 15 years and above in the villages of Tarem county (N=14415) which among them, a sample of 375 people was selected by proportional stratified sampling method. The research instrument for data collection was a questionnaire whose content validity was confirmed by the faculty members of university of Zanjan and the experts of Jihad Agriculture Organization of Zanjan province. In order to check the reliability of the questionnaire, a pilot study was also conducted, and the Cronbach's alpha coefficients of the main scales of the questionnaire were acceptable. The collected data were analyzed using SPSSWin26 software. The descriptive results showed that the rural women's economic empower was at a relatively weak level in terms of the two indicators of economic mobility and economic decision-making power. In addition, the results of the factor analysis indicated that the five extracted factors including weak support and structural limitations, weak entrepreneurial spirit, mistrust and inappropriate social prejudices, rejection and marginalization, and weak professional skills explained 61.5 percent of the total variance of "inhibitors to rural women's economic empowerment". Moreover, the findings of the regression analysis revealed that all the five extracted factors had negative and significant effects on the level of rural women's economic empower. Finally, the findings of this research, by helping to better understand the situation of rural women in terms of economic empowerment indicators and through a deeper analysis of the inhibitors facing them, can provide useful information to planners and policymakers to design and implement effective interventions for the rural women's economic empowerment.

Groundwater is a vital resource for human consumption, agricultural production, and the development of water-related industries, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. Groundwater and surface water resources provide approximately 60 and 40 percent of Iran’s total water supply, respectively, where the relative water consumption in the agricultural, urban, and industrial sectors is approximately 92%, 7%, and 1%, respectively. The construction of many dams on main rivers, along with water extraction, has reduced river flows, dried them up, and damaged river-dependent ecosystems. The inflow to Tashk and Bakhtegan lakes located in Fars province has decreased due to the construction of upstream dams and the use of river water for irrigation in the past decade, leading to the drying of these lakes in 2013. The over-extraction of groundwater by ~5.4 billion cubic meters per year during the 2002-2015 period has resulted in a decrease in groundwater levels (10-100 centimeters per year) in different regions of Iran, averaging 49 centimeters per year nationwide, damaging groundwater-dependent ecosystems in some areas. For example, Parishan Lake, which is mainly the result of the inflow of groundwater from nine springs, has experienced a decrease in water depth (about 5 meters during the 1995-2008 period) due to increased groundwater extraction around the wetland. The Jahrom aquifer in Fars province has also experienced a decrease in water level of approximately 0.75 meters per year, or three aquifers Aspas, Khosrowshirin, and Kamfiruz in the north of Fars province have respectively experienced a decrease in groundwater level of approximately 0.7, 1, and 0.35 meters per year due to over-extraction. Although groundwater is a vital source for human needs and consumption, it is also vital for preserving the environment. The main point in water resources management is the neglect of environmental water needs, in other words, all the water available in a river or aquifer is only considered for human consumption. However, a physical index recently presented by Naderi (2021) takes into account environmental needs and quantifies the level of water resources management based on the concepts of available water and water supply (water extraction). The aim of this study is to quantify the level of management (LOM) of aquifers in Zanjan Province under “normal” and “sustainable” management conditions

The study area includes eight alluvial aquifers of Zanjan Province (northwestern Iran) which are located between 47010’ to 5005’ E and 35025’ to 37010’ N. About 1.6% of the province’s area has a dry climate, 76% has a semi-dry climate, 20% has a Mediterranean climate, and 2.4% has a semi-humid to humid climate. The aquifers include Tarom, Zanjan, Mahneshan, Moshampa, Sojas, Zarrin-Tappeh, Abhar, and Qeydar, which have areas of 75.5, 1146.13, 30.06, 36.1, 501.7, 495.4, 657.6, and 699.2 km2, respectively. The LOM is quantified under “normal” and “sustainable” conditions. The difference between the two LOM values stems from definitions for existing groundwater sources. Sustainable groundwater originates from the aquifer’s own region, while normal groundwater originates from both the local aquifer region and adjacent groundwaters to meet the region’s water needs. 〖LOM〗_n=(〖AGW〗_n-TWS)/〖AGW〗_n (1)〖LOM〗_s=(〖AGW〗_s-TWS)/〖AGW〗_s (2)〖〖AGW〗_n=R〗_n-EFR=(I_p+I_r+I_s+I_irg+I_mi+I_net )-EFR (3)〖〖AGW〗_s=R〗_s-EFR=(I_p+I_r+I_s+I_irg+I_mi )-EFR (4)In the above relations, subscripts n and s represent normal and sustainable conditions, respectively. AGW is available groundwater, TWS total water supply, R the recharge of groundwater, EFR the environmental flow requirement, infiltration from precipitation (Ip), groundwater recharge from the river (Ir), groundwater recharge from runoff (Is), groundwater recharge due to irrigation return flow (Iirg) and municipal-industrial (Imi) water use, and net groundwater recharge from adjacent groundwaters (Inet).

Alluvial aquifers of Tarom, Zanjan, Mahneshan, Moshampa, Sojas, Zarrinabad, Abhar, and Qeydar have experienced groundwater storage anomalies of 2.57, -25.61, 3.83, 0.82, -6.46, -9.52, -45.80, and -19.55 million cubic meters per year, respectively. Only the aquifers of Tarom, Mahneshan, and Moshampa have positive changes in storage volume. Results show that in the Mahneshan aquifer, normal management was positive (3 percent) but sustainable management was negative and close to zero (-0.1 percent). Therefore, the type of management is “pseudo-sustainable”. In the Moshampa aquifer, normal management was positive (2 percent) but sustainable management was negative (-9.7 percent). Therefore, the type of management is “pseudo-sustainable”. In the Tarom aquifer, normal management was positive (6.5 percent) but sustainable management was negative (-0.38 percent). Therefore, the type of management is “pseudo-sustainable”. In other aquifers, both normal and sustainable management were negative and indicative of the “mismanagement” class, so that normal and sustainable management in the Zanjan aquifer were respectively -9 and -41 percent, in the Sojas aquifer were -8.9 and -17.7 percent, in the Zarrinabad aquifer were -18.5 and -68 percent, in the Abhar aquifer were -30 and -106 percent, and in the Qeydar aquifer were -14 and -106 percent. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the status of water resource management, using various solutions such as wastewater treatment, education and increasing public awareness in optimal water consumption, reducing the cultivated area, increasing irrigation efficiency, and cultivating crops with less water demand to reduce groundwater abstraction in Zanjan Province.

Drought, as one of the natural disasters, has significant impacts on the environment. Although its occurrence is inevitable, its negative effects can be mitigated by taking measures. Freshwater groundwater, due to its sustainability and high quality, plays an important role in providing drinking water and socio-economic development, especially in dry and semi-arid regions. In this study, drought in Mahneshan County was investigated using various indices. 30 years of rainfall data from Mahneshan station were analyzed. To investigate climatic drought, the SPI index was used, to determine wet and dry periods, the 5 and 7 year moving averages of annual rainfall were used, and to investigate hydrological drought, well data and the GRI index were used. The findings show that climatic and hydrological droughts have occurred in the Mahneshan region and that there is a significant correlation between the SPI index and groundwater level changes. According to the findings, drought is one of the main challenges in the Mahneshan region. The use of various indices to investigate drought is necessary and its negative effects can be mitigated with proper planning. This study only focuses on a specific region and other factors affecting drought and ways to reduce its effects are not investigated. The aim of this study is to provide an overview of the drought situation in the Mahneshan region and the need to pay attention to this phenomenon in future planning and actions.

This study is of an applied nature with a descriptive-analytical approach. To collect data, two methods were used: library studies and field surveys. In the field section, various methods were used, such as questionnaires, interviews, and observations, to collect the opinions and views of the local residents, expert information from specialists, and field surveys of water resources and water transmission systems. To complete the information, inquiries were made from relevant organizations such as the Rural Affairs Deputy and the Rural Water and Sewerage Administration. Also, by visiting the region in the field, information related to water resources, water allocation, and other drought-related matters were collected and analyzed and interpreted using scientific methods. To investigate climatic drought in the region, the Standard Precipitation Index (SPI) was used. This index is calculated using long-term rainfall data (30 years) and can show wet, dry, and normal periods in the region. In addition to the SPI index, the 5 and 7 year moving averages of annual rainfall were also used to determine wet and dry periods. In this method, the average rainfall in a specific period of time (5 or 7 years) is calculated and compared with the long-term average rainfall. To investigate hydrological drought in the region, data from wells with appropriate distribution and long-term data were used. Changes in groundwater level in these wells were calculated by the Groundwater Recharge Index (GRI). The GRI indicates the amount of water entering the groundwater and can be used to assess the status of groundwater resources in the region.

Analysis of SPI values at different time scales and 5 and 7 year moving averages of rainfall indicates a significant decrease in rainfall in the Mahneshan region over the past 20 years. This downward trend raises concerns about its negative consequences for water resources, agriculture and other water-dependent sectors in the region.Analysis of the GRI index on monthly and annual time scales indicates a decline in groundwater levels in the Mahneshan region. This decline has been exacerbated due to the imbalance between recharge and withdrawal from the groundwater table, especially in recent years with consecutive droughts.Overexploitation of groundwater resources has threatened the sustainability of these resources.Correlation analysis between the SPI and GRI indices indicates a significant correlation between meteorological and hydrological droughts in the Mahneshan region. This correlation is stronger at longer time scales. The findings show that meteorologicaldroughts can lead to hydrological droughts in the region.Analysis of the relationship between meteorological and hydrological droughts with time lags of one, two and three years shows that there is a significant correlation between these two types of droughts with lags of one and two years. This correlation shows that meteorological droughts with lags of one and two years lead to hydrological droughts in the Mahneshan region.

The Mahneshan region has faced a decline in groundwater levels and frequent and severe droughts over the past two decades. Studies show that:The average annual decline in groundwater level has varied over the years. This is due to the diversity in formation type, permeability, hydraulic gradient, and the amount of groundwater withdrawal in different regions. In the 20-year period (1375 to 1395), the groundwater level in the Mahneshan region has dropped by an average of 45 cm annually. This indicates the excessive and unsustainable withdrawal of groundwater resources. Repeated droughts have also exacerbated the trend of groundwater decline. In addition to rainfall, other factors such as overexploitation of groundwater resources also affect groundwater decline. A comparison of the SPI (climatic drought) and GRI (groundwater resources) indices shows that there is a significant relationship between these two indices on monthly and annual time scales. This relationship shows that climatic drought, with a 2-year lag, affects groundwater decline in the Mahneshan region. The lag time between climatic drought and groundwater decline can vary in different parts of the basin, depending on the diversity of formation type and geological characteristics and different groundwater withdrawals.Overall, the results of this study show that the Mahneshan region faces a serious challenge of water scarcity and drought. Overexploitation of groundwater resources and repeated droughts have exacerbated this challenge.

The present study investigates the role of demographic-personal factors and livelihood capitals on the evolution of farmers' resilience to climate change in the Ghezel Ozan River basin located in Zanjan Province. For this purpose, a survey method was used. The statistical population of the study was 36281 farmers living in the studied area. Using Morgan and Krejcie's random sampling table and stratified random sampling method with proportional allocation, 384 farmers were selected as the statistical sample. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire the reliability of which was determined by Cronbach's alpha method. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.705-0.865, which reflects the optimal reliability of the questionnaire. The step by step diagnostic analysis technique was used for data analysis. The results of the diagnostic analysis showed that the variables of human capital, the years of agricultural work experience, economic capital, physical capital and finally, the social capital are influential on categorizing the farmers in terms of their climate change resilience. Generally, it can be said that the prediction accuracy of the model is about 67.2%. For future studies, it is suggested to consider the impact of external factors such as government policies, mass media and market-driven institutional and cognitive factors.

Considering the importance of greenhouse crops on the one hand and the need to improve the level of technical knowledge and skills of greenhouse owners in order to increase their production performance on the other hand, this survey research was conducted with the main purpose of identifying and analyzing the training needs of greenhouse owner in Zanjan province. The statistical population of the research was made up of 147 active greenhouse owners with operation licenses in Zanjan province in 2022 of which 120 were selected through the stratified sampling method with proportional assignment. The research instrument for data collection was a questionnaire, the content validity of which was established by the faculty members of University of Zanjan and the experts of Jihad Agriculture Organization of Zanjan Province. In order to check the reliability of the questionnaire, a pilot study was also conducted, and the value of Cronbach's alpha calculated for the main scale of the questionnaire named training needs of greenhouse owners. The results of reliability analysis through Cronbach's alpha demonstrated an acceptable (i.e., 0.89) level of reliability for the research instrument. The collected data were analyzed using SPSSWin26 software. The results showed that the greenhouse owners' training needs in Zanjan Province can be loaded on six components including “factors related to technical issues before planting and after harvesting”, “technical issues related to crop planting”, “greenhouse management and harvesting and packaging”, “methods of marketing, advertising and value enhancement of the crop”, “location and technical issues related to the design of the greenhouse”, and “pests and diseases and their management”. Moreover, the results indicated that the intensity of training needs among the surveyed greenhouse owners, especially cucumber producers, was high, indicating the necessity of compiling and implementing related courses to cover the greenhouse owners' training needs.

Understanding flood phenomena and estimating flood potential play an important role in flood management and forecasting in any region. Due to the flooding of Mahneshan-Angoran basin, located in Zanjan province, Central Iran, in this study, the effective factors on flooding of this basin were investigated. For this purpose, first the basin curve number map was created by combining soil maps, land use, Digital Elevation Model and Look up table involving GIS environment. Then, using AHP Hierarchical Analysis method and based on the combined effects approach, appropriate weights were assigned to each of the slope factors, slope direction, land use, curve number, branch ratio, drainage density, precipitation, basin length and basin lithology. A flood risk map was prepared from the overlap of the weighted layers in the GIS environment. The results of AHP method showed that the highest weight among the effective factors is equal to 0.326, which belongs to the factor of the basin Curve Number. Other effective factors are: land use, slope, rainfall, drainage density, branching ratio, basin length, slope direction and lithological factor, which respectively have weights affecting flooding equal to 0.174, 0.142, 0.118, 0.090, 0.051, 0.042, 0.042 and 0.016. According to the obtained flood plan, it was observed that the western parts of the basin have a higher risk than other parts of the basin due to higher altitude and more rainfall, which is itself a proof of the accuracy of the calculations.

Performance appraisal is the most important focal points of production units. In this study, the Casual Comparative approach applied to measure the performance of active poultry units in Zanjan province. Among the various performance measurement models, total productivity index of Malmquist Index was selected because of its greater effectiveness in measuring growth. In order to achieve a comprehensive model, all poultry farms in Zanjan province were considered for study; However, due to the lack of data required, only 30 poultry farms were selected for performance evaluation. In this study, the amount of initial hatching, feed consumption, energy costs, personnel costs and healthcare costs were selected as input variables and final slaughter weight and fertilizer weight were selected as output variables. Specialized software GAMS.34.1.0 and DEA SOLVER (V8) were used for data analysis. The result showed that among the existing decision units (DMUs), in the first period AL12 with 34.9% growth had the highest total productivity growth and AL14 with a decrease of 14.4% Has had the highest productivity decline. Meanwhile, AL14 with the changes in the method of feeding poultry in the second period has had the highest growth of total productivity. On the other hand, although the AL12 unit has had the highest growth in the first period, but due to lack of attention to costs Energy and non-optimal use of grain consumed in the second period are classified as low-growth decision-making units.

The number of all Handmade-Carpet cooperatives was 38 including 366 members. Of those members 181 people were selected as the samples through Morgans' sampling table. A proportionate selection method was used to select the fit samples from each cooperative. The validity of the questions was done by experts' views and recommendations. The reliability of the questions was tested through Alpha's test (alpha =0.874 to 0.909). After gathering data, SPSS software was used to analyze and describe the data. In descriptive part, both frequency tables and central statistics such as mean, median and mode as well as discrepancy statistics such as standard deviation and coefficient of variation were used. In analytical part, correlation and regression analysis methods and Mann-Whitenny and Kruskal- Wallis tests were used. The correlation's results showed that there was a significant relationship between variables attendance into training courses, income's amount from the cooperatives, the level of content relevancy, the level of objectives relevancy, the level of educators' knowledge, the level of training methods relevancy and the the effectiveness of the training courses. In addition, the results of regression analysis by a stepwise method revealed that the variables the level of objectives relevancy, income's amount from the cooperatives, and the level of educators' knowledge were determined 81.6 percent of dependent variable (the training courses' effectiveness).

According to the United Nations, the world's population will increase by 2 billion in the next 30 years and reach 9.7 billion by 2050 (United Nations 2019), due to the imbalance between population growth and current agricultural production. It will face a serious challenge for development (Burke et al. 2005). Animal husbandry is one of the most important sub-sectors of agriculture and plays an important role in food security, which globally plays a significant share of GDP in many developing countries (Steinfeld and Mack 2015). In confirmation of this, according to FAO reports, about 50% of GDP in the agricultural sector and more than 20% of total GDP in most developing and even developed countries come from livestock (FAO 1993). In Iran, despite extensive efforts to establish new service organizations and changes in animal husbandry technologies, the productivity of livestock production in Iran is much lower than in developed countries (Rezvanfar et al. 2006). According to the above, it can be concluded that in our country, attention to animal husbandry development is inevitable due to its importance in providing food security and economy. But at present, the development of the animal husbandry in the country is facing many obstacles. Removing existing barriers and proper planning for the optimal allocation of resources in order to increase the productivity of this sector requires an understanding of the current situation and capabilities of this sector so that its development scenarios are based on existing realities. This requires recognizing the specific conditions of each region and planning in accordance with the developments and needs of the country with the correct use of new scientific and technical achievements, as a result of which different provinces of the country as intermediate levels are no exception. Therefore, considering the potential and real capacities of the livestock sector in Zanjan province, the present study aims to estimate the current situation of the animal husbandry and classify the cities of Zanjan province for principled and rational planning for the development of the animal husbandry in the province. The present study is a cross-sectional study in terms of the purpose of applied research and in terms of time horizons because it was conducted in a specific time period. It is also a descriptive-analytical research method that has been used to collect information from library and field studies. The study area cities of Zanjan province. The present study is based on the analysis of a set of indicators to identify levels of animal husbandry development in the cities of Zanjan province based on 45 indicators in four dimensions of population (10 indicators), technical-managerial (14 indicators), economic-financial (14 indicators) and Service infrastructure (index 7) is done. For data analysis, since the indicators are not of equal importance, the indicators were weighted using the AHP method. Then, according to the research approach based on the analysis of a set of indicators to identify the development pattern of each of the four dimensions in order to create a composite index, in this stage using 45 indicators for the four main dimensions of animal husbandry in Zanjan province with The TOPSIS multi-criteria decision making method was analyzed. Finally, after analyzing the data related to the main indicators and the total index, using the above results, using the techniques of Arc GIS, geographical information system, the cities of Zanjan province were zoned. The results showed cities of Zanjan province are different in terms of animal husbandry indicators and the cities have a different position according to the conditions that have animal husbandry indicators in different dimensions. Khorramdareh city in population composition index and technical-managerial index, Khorramdareh, Zanjan and Abhar cities in economic-financial index, Khorramdareh, Abhar and Zanjan cities in infrastructure-service index. Finally, in the total index, the cities of Khorramdareh, Abhar and Zanjan have been developed. Also, the situation of Zanjan cities in four dimensions of infrastructure-services, population composition, economic-financial and technical-managerial shows that in all cities of the province, economic-financial, technical-managerial and infrastructure-services indicators are not distributed in accordance with the population index, and the economic-financial index is distributed almost equally in all cities of the province, regardless of the needs of the city. The technical-managerial and infrastructure-service index in the center of the province and the cities of Abhar and Khorramdareh is higher than other cities in the province due to the existence of animal husbandry industrial centers. Based on the combined animal husbandry index in Zanjan province, it is clear that only Khorramdareh city is in a favorable situation compared to other cities and Abhar and Zanjan cities are in the middle level and the rest of the cities are underdeveloped, which shows the distribution of resources and infrastructure according to The capacity and needs of the animal husbandry sector in the cities of the province are disproportionate. Based on what can be concluded from the results of this study, the point is that in Zanjan province, the most important obstacle and problem in the development of the animal husbandry is infrastructure-service and technical-management issues. Planners and policymakers must first focus their plans on creating infrastructure appropriate to the different areas of the province's cities. In addition to providing infrastructure, providing services to the animal husbandry is essential to improve the quantity and quality of livestock and its products. Finally, what doubles the impact of infrastructure and services is technical and managerial issues, because if the infrastructure and services are optimal but the technical and managerial issues are not correct, development will not happen as planned by planners, Which is improved by hiring and consulting experts.

Today, the renewable energy utilazation is considered as one of the most important ways to environment conservation and achieve sustainable development. Therefore, this study has been conducted with the aim of investigating the design of Pattern for renewable energy utilization in rural areas of Zanjan province. The study population was consisting of rural households that were covered by new energy technology in Zanjan province that according to Krejcie and Morgan sample determination table, 210 of the households were selected as samples. A questionnaire was used in quantitative research. Reliability and validity of survey instrument was evaluated. Face and content validity of the questionnaire had been confirmed by panel of experts and key informant before the pre-test stage. The reliability of instrument was assessed by conducting a pilot study among 30 samples out of the original sample. The reliability of instrument for the all sections based on Cronbach's alpha coefficients value (in the range of 0.72 to 0.90) shows acceptable level of internal consistency. Data analysis was performed by SPSS24 and AMOS22 software. The collected data was analyzed using structural equation modeling technique. The results based on direct structural model showed that there is a positive significant relationship between educational, socio-cultural, political and environmental factors with the dependent variable of renewable energy utilization and these variables explained 37% of variances of dependent variable. But there was no significant relationship between economic and technical factors with the renewable energy utilization.

Drought has caused great damage to agriculture and rural communities over the past years. In the last decade, the approach to dealing with natural conditions and events has given way to coping and living with them. One of the effective factors in reducing the effects of drought is building the capacity of villagers to deal with drought. The purpose of this study is to present scenarios affecting the capacity building of villagers to reduce the effects of drought. The type of research in this study is applied and descriptive-analytical in nature. The statistical population of the present study consists of two groups, the first group consists of 30 professors, specialists and experts related to the research topic and the second group consists of rural elites and villagers and members of the village Islamic council. The method of collecting library and field information (questionnaire, interview) was done, and structural analysis was used to analyze the data using Mick Mac software. Findings show, . Among the 36 indicators studied, the tendency to use the strategies of the past to reduce the effects of drought and the tendency to change the cultivation pattern to drought-resistant plants had the greatest impact on capacity building of villagers to reduce the effects of drought. According to the rankings obtained from the direct and indirect effects of variables, all 36 key influencing factors exist, both in direct and indirect effects. In other words, the study of indirect relationships between different factors shows that all factors in direct effects with a slight change in their rank are repeated exactly in indirect effects.

In order to investigate the status of Caspian Sea kutum ( Rutilus kutum) released to Khandaghlou dam reservoir in Zanjan province, a sample of fish fauna was carried out for one year. The Caspian Sea kutum was introduced to this reservoir in 2003 ( It is not clear that it was deliberate or accidental ). The results showed that the mean length of Caspian kutum caught in the Khandaghlou dam reservoir was 42.1 ± 3.1 cm with a minimum and maximum length of 38 and 46 cm, respectively. The average weight of this fish was 297 ± 1120 grams with a minimum and maximum weight of 667 and 1400 grams respectively. In the samples, the age range of this species was 3 and 5 years old, and the 4-year-old fish had comprised 67% of the catch (n= 6). In examining the contents of the stomach of caught fish there was a large amount of the shrimp of the lake (Macrobrachium niponnes) which was confirmed by Professor De Greev in samples transmitted to the London Zoology Museum. Also, the female gonads were in the fourth stage of sexual maturity. It seems that due to the high adaptability of Caspian Sea kutum, this species can be identified as one of the most suitable options for the aquaculture industry and culture-based fishery in dam reservoirs in the country.

In the plan of developing aquaculture and increasing production in the lake behind Golabar dam in Golabar village of Ijroud city of Zanjan province, plankton studies were considered as basic studies to increase fish production in this lake. In this project, 5 study stations were considered in the area of the dam lake and the river entrance. The studies started quarterly from the fall of 2009 and continued for one year until the summer of 2010. For sampling of zooplankton in the dam lake by a 55 micron Juday net was taken from the floor to the surface of a sample of water column, at the entrance of the river by a P.V.C pipe 30 liters of water was filtered by a zooplankton net. finally samples were stabilized with %4 formalin rate and transferred to laboratory for study. In zooplankton studies, a total of 5 zooplankton Phyla and 25 genera were identified, with the highest percentage of the zooplankton population belonging to the Rotifera phylum, which includes %76.2. The most important genera in this group are Polyarthera, Keratella, Filinia and Pompholyx. Comparison of planktonic observations with physical and chemical data of water shows that due to the young age of Glabar Dam Lake, it is equal to the amount of nutrients and organic matter in the Eutroph waters, and This reservoir has talent suitable zooplankton species for feeding, breeding fish and their larvae , so the natural resources of this water source can be used to increase the production of valuable fishery fish.

Abstract
Climate change has had a significant impact on agriculture, and farmers are reacting differently. The purpose of this descriptive correlational study is to identify the Adaptation strategies used and the factors affecting farmers' behavior in this area.
 
The statistical population of this apllied-correlational study consisted of all farmers of Zanjan province who 393 were selected by using Krejcie and Morgan sampling table and were selected through a multi-stage randomized sampling method.
 
The results showed that farmer's use of 14 adaptation strategies was above average and in other 15 strategies was below average and 79.1% of farmers had used adaptation strategies on average. Correlation coefficient showed that climate perception, training attendance, adaptation knowledge, access to credit, non-agricultural income, agricultural income, rainfed land area, irrigated land area, access to inputs, use of information resources, social capital, soil quality of farm, farm expericne, household size and exposure to climate change had positive and significant relationship with farmers' adaptation strategies. Multiple linear regression showed that access to inputs, use of information resources, irrigated land area, social capital, training attendance, exposure to climate change and rainfed land area explainded 51.4% of the variance of farmers' adaptation behavior.
 
This study showed that the higher the human, social, and physical capital of farmers, and the more they have been affected by climate change in recent years, the more they use adaptation strategies. It is suggested that more planning be done to increase the human and social capital of farmers, as well as to inform farmers about the long-term effects of climate change on the agricultural sector.

Lakes behind the dam are one of the most important structures for controlling and supplying water for different uses that can have wide environmental, social and economic effects. This quarterly study was conducted in 2011 with the aim of providing appropriate solutions for optimal and sustainable exploitation of the aquatic animals of Khandaghloo Reservoir Dam Lake. For phytoplankton sampling, one liter of water (unfiltered) and for sampling, zooplankton, also 30 liters of water from the station was collected by means of a 30 micron zooplankton net.The samples were fixed with formalin at a ratio of % 4 and identified and counted in the laboratory after preparation of the samples under an inverted microscope. In phytoplankton studies, 41 genera and 6 Phyla identified, including Cyanophyta, Bacillariophyta, Chlorophyta, Euglenophyta, Pyrrophyta and Xanthophyta, Cyanophyta with %74.3 had the highest percentage of phytoplankton population during the study. In zooplankton study, 4 Phyla and 11 genera were identified, which included the Phyla Rhizopoda, Ciliophora, Rotifera and Arthropoda, which have the highest percentage of zooplankton population belongs to the Phylum Rotifera with 67.7%. Comparison of planktonic observations and physical and chemical data of water, showed that Khandaghloo lake have talents and suitable planktonic species for feeding and rearing their fish. Thus, Natural reserves of this source can be used to increase the value of fishery fish.

Today, due to problems such as population growth, unemployment, limited water and soilresources, environmental threats, low crop yields and concerns about endangering the foodsecurity; the role and importance of entrepreneurship in the agricultural sector is felt more thanever. Therefore, comprehensive planning in the development of greenhouses can play animportant role in production and entrepreneurship in the agricultural sector. The purpose of thisstudy was to investigate the role of greenhouse development in entrepreneurship and productionin the agricultural sector of Zanjan province. The target population was the entrepreneurs ofgreenhouse units who are producing vegetables. Using the proportional stratified randomsampling method, the sample size was calculated 60 greenhouses. SPSS software was used toanalyze the collected data. The validity of the questionnaires was assessed by experiencedacademic and agricultural experts. The Cronbach’s alpha was calculated as 0.78 showing thatthe questionnaires are reliable. The results showed that the variables including high cost ofgreenhouse equipments and land in addition to high production risk were the main issues forconstruction of greenhouses. Expensive agricultural inputs and lack of proper mechanisms arethe most important problems of greenhouse owners. Moreover, government incentives and noneed for special expertise and qualifications are the most important factors in encouraging theentrepreneurs to invest in greenhouses in the province. Factor analysis of effective factors inentrepreneurship and production opportunities in greenhouses led to the extraction of 5 factorsnamely economic, technical-support, managerial, social and infrastructure, which explain 82%of the variance.