Rural Development Strategies

Abstract Local governance, as a key framework for local management and development, plays a fundamental role in improving the quality of life and livability of human communities. This study aimed to analyze the effect of local governance on the livability of rural settlements in Mahur Milati District, Mamasani County, during the Iranian year 1404 (2025–2026). In terms of purpose, the study was applied, and in terms of nature and method, it was descriptive–analytical and survey-based. The statistical population consisted of residents of 32 selected villages in Mahur Milati District. A multistage sampling method was employed: first, the villages were purposively selected based on population, geographical location, and spatial distribution; the sample was then allocated proportionally to each village’s population, and respondents were randomly selected within the villages. Based on Cochran’s formula, an initial sample size of 341 respondents was calculated, which was subsequently increased to 387 to improve accuracy and ensure adequate representation of low-population villages. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire. Its validity was confirmed through expert judgment, while its reliability was verified using Cronbach’s alpha coefficients of 0.916 for local governance and 0.896 for livability. The data were analyzed using the one-sample t-test, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and multiple regression analysis. The results indicated that the mean scores of local governance (2.80) and livability (2.54) were below the desirable level of 3, reflecting unfavorable conditions in both variables. Pearson’s correlation analysis also revealed a moderate correlation between local governance and rural livability. Moreover, multiple regression analysis showed that the rule of law (β = 0.320), responsiveness (β = 0.290), accountability (β = 0.275), and efficiency (β = 0.260) had the greatest effects on livability, respectively. Accordingly, strengthening participation, consensus orientation, equity, and transparency can enhance social capital, improve local management processes, and ultimately increase the livability of rural settlements.

Abstract Rural liveability is a crucial concept in the literature of sustainable development, encompassing various dimensions such as economic, social, physical, and environmental aspects. Access to decent jobs and income for rural populations stands out as a key indicator of rural liveability. Therefore, rural entrepreneurship has been emphasized as a means to achieve these indicators. On the other hand, improving rural liveability by creating conducive entrepreneurial environments can pave the way for entrepreneurial development. Thus, rural liveability, as both an objective and a tool for rural entrepreneurship, should be considered a focal point for researchers.This study aims to perform a bibliometric analysis of research in the field of rural liveability and entrepreneurship. The research adopts an applied approach and utilizes documentary methods for data collection. Data were gathered from the Scopus database for the period between 1990 and 2025 using keywords such as "rural liveability," "rural entrepreneurship," and "rural areas," resulting in a collection of 340 documents analyzed through VOSviewer software. The co-occurrence analysis of keywords revealed that most studies have concentrated on rural entrepreneurship, while the topic of liveability has only gained attention since 2021. Additionally, there is a research gap in studies that simultaneously address rural entrepreneurship and liveability. China and the United States are leading countries in this thematic field, while Iran, with 9 scientific documents, ranks 12th among 73 active countries. In terms of co-authorship, China holds the top position, whereas Iran's collaborative efforts with researchers from other countries are notably weak, placing it at 71st rank globally.

Abstract In recent years, a combination of natural and human factors, including prolonged drought, decreased precipitation, overexploitation of water resources in desert regions, and the destruction of vegetation cover, particularly in the eastern areas of Iraq—has contributed to the intensification of the dust phenomenon. The western provinces of Iran are among the regions most affected by this phenomenon. The present study was conducted in 2025 with the aim of analyzing the effects of dust storms on farmers' attitudes toward the continuation of agricultural occupation in Gilangharb County. This research was a survey study, and data were collected using a questionnaire. The validity of the instrument was confirmed by the faculty members of the Department of Agricultural Extension and Education at Tarbiat Modares University, and its reliability was established through Cronbach's alpha coefficient, which ranged from 0.75 to 0.82 for different sections of the questionnaire. The statistical population consisted of 5,600 farmers in Gilan-e-Gharb County, from which a sample size of 357 individuals was determined based on the Krejcie and Morgan table. The samples were selected using stratified random sampling with proportional allocation. The results of correlation analysis showed that variables including health factors (0.599), economic factors (0.557), social factors (0.529), and environmental factors (0.544) had a significant positive relationship with the dependent variable of the study. Furthermore, regression findings indicated that four variables, health (0.415), economic (0.255), environmental (0.185) and social (0.178), had the greatest influence on farmers' attitudes toward the continuation of farming, respectively, and together explained 58.6% of the variance in the dependent variable. The findings of this research can be utilized by agricultural education managers, extension agents, curriculum planners, and rural development policymakers in designing educational and extension interventions aimed at mitigating the effects of dust storms on the sustainability of agricultural livelihoods.

Abstract Food security among rural households of paddy farmers is a multidimensional phenomenon influenced by economic, nutritional, institutional, social, and environmental factors. This study was conducted in 2025–2026 with the aim of identifying and prioritizing the challenges affecting food security from the perspective of paddy-farming households in the Sangar District of Rasht County, using a descriptive–analytical approach. The statistical population consisted of 15,122 rural households residing in the Sangar District of Rasht County, of which 12,525 paddy-farming households were considered the target population. Using a stratified random sampling method with proportional allocation (based on rural strata), data were collected from 313 paddy-farming households. The data collection instrument was a researcher-made questionnaire based on the theoretical literature on food security, whose content validity was confirmed by experts in rural development and agricultural planning. Given that the questionnaire items were not multidimensional in nature and were solely designed to measure the intensity of challenges, Cronbach’s alpha was not considered appropriate for reliability assessment. To weight the challenges, the SWARA technique was used, and for classifying the intensity of impacts, the ISDM approach was applied. The results indicated that the economic component, with a weight of 24.12%, was the most important challenge to food security, followed by nutritional-health (20.39%), policy-infrastructural (18.73%), socio-cultural (18.55%), and environmental (18.22%) components. At the sub-criteria level, reduced access to animal proteins and fruits and vegetables, climate change, water resource scarcity, soil erosion, and weaknesses in transport and irrigation infrastructure were identified as having a “very high” level of impact intensity. In contrast, rural migration, administrative corruption, and declining social cohesion were placed in the “very low” impact intensity level. Based on the findings, strengthening local healthy food production, improving agricultural infrastructure, and revising supportive policies such as rice pricing, import tariffs, and paddy farmer insurance are recommended.

Abstract tourists motivations are related to the selection of destination destination , loyalty to tourism destinations , and consequently gaining knowledge in forecasting future patterns of tourists travel behavior . therefore , this study examines the effect of ecotourists motivation on their loyalty to rural tourism destinations . the statistical population of this study is the tourists who visited saravan recreational area during the study period . to determine the sample size based on the morgan table , 384 individuals were selected as the research sample .the sampling method was simple random . the present study is based on the nature and method of data collection is a descriptive survey and in terms of purpose is applied . in order to study the research variables , standard questionnaires and five - point likert scale were used . also for normality of data , kolmogorov - smirnov test was used that variables had normal distribution ; therefore , considering the normal distribution of data , pearson correlation coefficient and regression analysis were used . the results showed that there is a significant relationship between motivation and loyalty . also , the results of regression analysis indicated that the regression model is suitable for predicting the loyalty of ecotourists using their motivation .

Abstract Sustainable development is a key principle for rural development and leads to a balance, and the transition to sustainable rural development is not possible without assessing economic, social and environmental conditions. In this regard, the present article aimed to evaluate the level of development of villages in Bile Savar County through sustainable development indicators, seeking to answer the question: What are the indicators of sustainable rural development in rural areas of this county? And how have the villages of this county performed in terms of enjoying the level of development? This research is descriptive and analytical. The statistical population of those villages in the county with a population of 13,665 people was 12 villages with over 500 people, which was determined according to the Cochran formula as 374 people. A researcher-made questionnaire of the five-option Likert spectrum scale type containing 32 questions in proportion to the population share of each village and using simple random sampling method was provided to the statistical sample over 18 years of age. Then, data analysis was carried out through SPSS software, and finally, the final ranking was carried out through the TOPSIS model and drawn in the form of an ARC GIS map. The results showed that Babak village, which ranked first with (pi=0/832), had the smallest distance from the ideal level, and Moradloo village with (pi=0/263) had the farthest distance from the ideal level. Overall, the development of villages in Bile Savar County based on sustainable development indicators with values ​​of (pi=457) was less than the ideal average. The result is that the weak link between rural development and sustainable development indicators has led to its distance from the sustainable development paradigm and the leading role of economic dimension criteria has led to the development of villages in this county following the agricultural-industrial paradigm.

Abstract The establishment of microcredit funds has become a popular approach to empowerment in developing countries in the past two decades. These programs are designed and implemented with the aim of creating sustainable employment, increasing income, reducing poverty, and improving the quality of life of rural women and their families. The present study is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical in terms of method, which was conducted with a survey approach. The statistical population of the study consisted of rural women who are members of active microcredit funds in the province (1688 people). Among the counties of Kerman province, five counties were selected using purposive sampling based on geographical distribution and diversity of socio-economic conditions. The number of active funds in the province is 136, of which 91 members of the aforementioned funds were selected using a multi-stage stratified sampling method with proportional assignment. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire based on previous studies and the opinions of experts. This questionnaire consisted of two sections: questions related to personal and economic characteristics and questions related to measuring the dimensions of rural women's empowerment based on 35 items in four dimensions, with responses based on a five-point Likert scale from "very low" to "very high." The content validity of the questionnaire was assessed by experts and its reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient, and its value was 0.939. The results showed that the average of women's social empowerment index was significantly higher than the theoretical value (p<0.001) and the average of household economic empowerment indices (p=0.009) and household welfare improvement (p<0.001) were significantly lower than the theoretical value. The employment creation and income earning opportunities index also did not show a significant difference from the theoretical value (p=0.829). Also, a negative and significant correlation was observed between age and employment creation and economic empowerment indices, but no significant relationship was obtained between the amount of the last loan received and empowerment indices. In addition, there was a significant difference between empowerment indices, such that social empowerment had the highest rank and household welfare improvement had the lowest rank.