Analysis and comparison of Livelihoods resilience of rural households in Urmia Lake basin in terms of location of villages (coastal /noncoastal and east / West Azerbaijan province)

Climate change and lowering of the water level of Lake Urmia by having a negative impact on agriculture and livelihoods of rural households in the Urmia Lake Basin can cause changes in the livelihood resilience level of rural households. Considering that geographical factors are an important factor in livelihood resilience, the present study has compared the livelihood resilience of rural households in the Urmia Lake Basin in terms of location of villages. To investigate the status of resilience, the indexing method has been used, which in the present study has three sub-indices: buffer capacity, self-organization and learning capacity. The research tool for data collection was a questionnaire whose validity was confirmed by the opinions of faculty members of Zanjan University and Urmia University. Alpha Cronbach's coefficient was used to evaluate the reliability of the questionnaire. The statistical population of the study was rural households in Urmia Lake basin in two provinces of East and West Azerbaijan. The results showed that the average resilience was 0.44, which indicated moderate resilience. The mean values of self-organization, learning capacity and buffer capacity were 0.55, 0.37 and 0.46, respectively. The results of mean comparison tests showed that the mean resilience in the two provinces of East and West Azerbaijan had a significant difference (t=2/50, p=0/013) and East Azerbaijan province was more resilient. Also, the average indicators and components of buffer capacity (t=3/86, p=0/000), natural, economic and social capital were significantly different and were higher in West Azerbaijan. The mean components of self-organization (t=2/98, p=0/003), learning capacity (t=4/12, p=0/000), debt trust, job exchange, commitment to learning, planning, experimentation, participation in access to information and feedback mechanism were significantly higher in East Azerbaijan. The average resilience of rural households in the Urmia Lake Basin in coastal and non-coastal villages was not significantly different (t=1/486, p=0/138) from each other, but the average buffer capacity (t=3/563, p=0/000), social capital, natural capital and knowledge of opportunities and threats were significantly higher in coastal villages. The mean indicators of self-reliance, local laws and customs and network were significantly higher in non-coastal villages.