Solutions to prevent farmers from using sewage (a case study of vegetable growers in Hamedan)

In recent years, due to the lack of fresh water and the depletion of underground water, the reuse of wastewater in agriculture to irrigate crops has been considered as one of the methods of managing water resources (Verma et al, 2023).The use of wastewater in agriculture faces challenges that can negatively affect plant and soil quality as well as human health. Therefore, this issue should be done in a controlled manner, with proper treatment and compliance with health standards. Also, alternative and more sustainable methods should be used for irrigation and food supply in agriculture to reduce environmental and health problems. Therefore, the main goal of this article is to investigate and identify solutions to prevent the use of wastewater for agriculture and vegetable growing in Hamadan city.

The research method is a survey type that uses interview tools and questionnaires to collect data. The statistical population of the research is the experts and professors of Hamadan city, 26 people were selected for interview and 80 people were selected as a sample to complete the questionnaire. Data analysis was done with the help of content analysis method and extracting the categories, then prioritizing the categories with the help of SPSS software and PLS.

The results of the qualitative part showed that to prevent the use of wastewater in the irrigation of vegetable fields in Hamedan city, 8 solutions were identified and presented. These solutions include legal and judicial action, continuous visits and monitoring, providing water rights, increasing the number of sewage refineries, creation and development of vegetable cultivation settlements, organizing sewage transfer channels, training and informing farmers, and management mechanisms. Also, the results of the quantitative part showed that three solutions, Legal treatment, education and promotion, and management and planning are at a higher priority level in terms of importance.

Based on the results of this research the solutions to prevent the use of wastewater in the irrigation of fields can be classified into three categories: "Legal and regulatory solutions", "Technical-structural solutions" and "Educational solutions". The legal and regulatory solutions were one of the most important issues of experts' attention, and they believed that until there is continuous and accurate monitoring, it is not possible to prevent the use of wastewater in farms.