Assessment and Analyzing the Effects of the Corona Pandemic on the Livelihood Resilience of Rural Households (Case Study: Oraman District of Sarvabad County)

The main goal of this article is to investigate the effects of the corona pandemic on the resilience of the livelihood of the villagers of the Oraman District of Sarvabad County. Moreover, the study aimed to measure the villagers' resilience and ability to adapt to crises and propose solutions to improve their livelihood resilience.

The research approach is a mixed method of quantitative and qualitative methods. Data collection was theoretical, using documentary and survey methods. The statistical population of the research include three groups of local people (300 people according to Cochran's method), development officials (18 people according to the targeted method), and experts of the region (12 people according to the targeted method).

Data analysis using inferential statistics tests (chi-square, Friedman rank, Pearson correlation) showed that two components gained averages of 2.63 and 2.72 at a significance level of 0.01. Therefore, the livelihood resilience of the villagers in Oraman District is in a bad situation in both dimensions of confrontation and adaptation. Also, the results suggest a direct, positive and significant relationship between the reduction of both dimensions of livelihood resilience and the overall livelihood resilience of the villagers.

 The leading solution to improve the livelihood resilience of the villagers in the region against crises is to change the managerial perspective of crisis management from a traditional and passive approach to a new proactive approach. To this end, in addition to training development managers, there is a need to train locals and form a crisis management unit headquarters with adequate performance, efficiency and up-to-date knowledge and awareness.

Livelihood resilience is major in achieving livelihood sustainability to ensure the optimal quality of life and the living environment. One of the pressures on the livelihood system of the villagers in the last two years was the Corona pandemic. Therefore, identifying these effects and planning to solve them can help to reduce the vulnerability and thus increase the livelihood resilience of the villagers.