Evaluation of natural resource management using good governance indexes

Sound natural resource governance arises from the interplay of social and institutional-environmental responses by all stakeholders. This collaborative approach provides a platform for strengthening civil society alongside the government and private sector in natural resource management. Traditional management methods need help to address the increasing complexity of natural resource issues. Consequently, several approaches have emerged in recent years, with good governance being the most prominent. Golestan province, occupying 1.3% of Iran's land area (20,367 square kilometers), is in the country's north. Unfortunately, deforestation, excessive livestock grazing, and other human activities have threatened Golestan's natural resources in recent decades, posing significant challenges. The depletion of natural resources, coupled with environmental crises like floods and droughts, underscores the need for a detailed investigation of the province's natural resource management practices. This study aims to evaluate the alignment of natural resource management in Golestan province with sound governance principles.

Seven indicators were selected for this research based on a comprehensive review of global and regional studies: participation, accountability, responsibility, rule of law and justice, transparency, efficiency and effectiveness, and consensus. The eastern cities of Golestan province served as the unit of analysis, with natural resource users and experts in these areas constituting the analysis unit. Cochran's formula determined the sample size, resulting in a target of 189 participants. After receiving and reviewing the questionnaires, 177 valid responses were included for statistical analysis. Additionally, 70 natural resource experts were selected to complete the questionnaire. User samples were randomly selected, while all experts were included (complete counting). Data analysis involved t-tests and analysis of variance.

From the users' perspective, the overall good governance index for natural resources averaged 2.8884, less than the theoretical average. This indicates weak governance according to the study area's natural resource users. The lowest average scores were assigned to the rule of law, justice, transparency, and accountability. Experts expressed higher satisfaction levels with all indicators, with the highest scores (3.46 and 3.42) for accountability and responsibility, respectively. Experts identified efficiency and effectiveness as the most crucial factor for good governance, while users prioritized participation.

The results reveal that the overall good governance index falls below the theoretical average, suggesting relatively weak governance of natural resources from the stakeholders' perspective in the studied area. This research emphasizes the importance of user involvement in natural resource projects, effective utilization of local knowledge, and strengthening cooperatives to improve the region's natural resource governance.