Shafagh Rastegar; Fatemeh Shafiee
Volume 32, Issue 1 , May 2025, , Pages 71-90
Abstract
Background and ObjectivesEcotourism represents a sustainable income source for rangelands beyond traditional livestock grazing, potentially reducing pressure on these ecosystems by diversifying local livelihoods. While offering economic opportunities and environmental protection benefits, ecotourism ...
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Background and ObjectivesEcotourism represents a sustainable income source for rangelands beyond traditional livestock grazing, potentially reducing pressure on these ecosystems by diversifying local livelihoods. While offering economic opportunities and environmental protection benefits, ecotourism development must balance socioeconomic and ecological considerations. This study evaluates the multidimensional impacts of ecotourism on local communities in Mazandaran province's summer rangelands, focusing on sustainability across economic, social, and environmental dimensions.MethodologyThe study area comprised 120 Range Sites (RS) and 40 villages, with 12 high-tourism RS selected from Paband, Kelia, Sarkh Griveh, Yanesar, and Sankruj villages based on their natural/cultural attractions. Data collection involved validated questionnaires (Cronbach's α = 0.82), interviews, and field observations. The questionnaire assessed nine social, seven economic, and eight environmental impact statements. Statistical analyses included Descriptive statistics (frequency, mean, SD), Kolmogorov-Smirnov test for normality, Friedman test for item ranking, Spearman/Kendall Tau-b tests for correlations, Regression and path analysis (SPSS v26) to model relationships between ecotourism impacts (independent variables) and sustainable livelihoods (dependent variable).ResultsPath analysis revealed that economic factors exerted the strongest direct influence on livelihood sustainability (β=0.385), primarily through income generation (25-30% increases) and seasonal employment creation (15-20 jobs/village), while social factors demonstrated both direct (β=0.106) and indirect economic-mediated effects (β=0.120), significantly improving quality of life (65% of respondents) and cultural preservation. Environmental awareness showed a positive but limited impact (β=0.072), with 55% of locals reporting increased ecological knowledge, though infrastructure development displayed the weakest correlation (r=0.12). Individual characteristics (education, residency) emerged as significant moderators (p<0.01), collectively explaining 69% of livelihood sustainability variance (R²=0.69), whereas ecotourism's effect on migration reduction remained marginal (5% decrease) due to persistent infrastructure gaps (only 30% village adequacy) and awareness deficiencies (40% knowledge gaps).ConclusionWhile ecotourism enhanced socioeconomic conditions (notably incomes and cultural preservation), its potential remains underdeveloped due to:Infrastructure gaps (only 30% of villages had adequate facilities)Limited community awareness (40% lacked ecotourism knowledge)Minimal impact on migration rates (5% reduction observed).Prioritizing infrastructure investment and implementing integrated ecotourism management plans are critical to maximizing benefits.
Hamidreza Moradieraghi; abbas ali vali; fatemeh panahi; aliakbar davudirad
Volume 29, Issue 3 , October 2022, , Pages 211-220
Nematolah Madadizadeh; Hossein Arzani; Seyed Akbar Javadi; Seyed Hamid Movahed Mohammadi; Mohammad Hosein Razaghi
Volume 28, Issue 2 , June 2021, , Pages 195-207
Abstract
In the current era of participation, the rule of common sense and the involvement of all stakeholders in key decisions have been accepted. Targeting and directing partnerships to conserve and rehabilitate natural resources will lead to sustainable development. The concepts of participation and the affecting ...
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In the current era of participation, the rule of common sense and the involvement of all stakeholders in key decisions have been accepted. Targeting and directing partnerships to conserve and rehabilitate natural resources will lead to sustainable development. The concepts of participation and the affecting factors need to be explained and studied. The aim is to investigate the factors affecting the participation of local communities in natural resource management from the perspective of experts in the region, Kerman. The research is descriptive-analytical, and the survey technique is used. Necessary information has been collected by completing 40 questionnaires from all natural resources experts of the province and the project (RFLDL) in the form of a census. The research tools of the questionnaire and its validity have been approved by experts. Using Cronbach's alpha coefficient, the reliability coefficient for the questionnaire items was determined to be 0.84. The reliability of the research items was measured by Cronbach's alpha statistic, the results of which (coefficient 0.84) indicate the high reliability of the items for measuring variables. Multiple regression tests have been used to determine the share of factors (eocnomic, extension, educational and managerial) on the participation of users from the perspective of experts. The results showed that social factors had a much greater share in predicting the dependent variable than other variables. Based on the results, giving importance to social factors can play an important role in attracting the participation of rangers in rangeland management.
Mohammadreza Shahraki; Ahmad Abedi Sarvestani; Abdolrahim Lotfi
Volume 28, Issue 1 , April 2021, , Pages 138-150
Abstract
Adverse climate change, drought, and floods have a negative impact on natural resources, crops, and livestock production as the main sources of livelihood for the villagers. Therefore, it is important to study the perception of rural communities about the occurrence of climate change and its relationship ...
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Adverse climate change, drought, and floods have a negative impact on natural resources, crops, and livestock production as the main sources of livelihood for the villagers. Therefore, it is important to study the perception of rural communities about the occurrence of climate change and its relationship with a sustainable livelihood. The present study was conducted for this purpose by descriptive-survey research method. In this study, 297 residents Age 35 years and older in 10 villages of the Oghan watershed in Golestan province were surveyed. The data collection tool of the questionnaire was developed by the researcher; its content validity was confirmed using the opinions of university academics and natural resources experts. The results showed that age, number of livestock, history of animal husbandry, length of stay in the village, and income of individuals with their perception of the symptoms of climate change have a positive and significant relationship. Findings of structural equation model evaluation showed a causal relationship between the perception of the occurrence of climate change symptoms and individuals' livelihood changes so that with increasing awareness of villagers about the occurrence of climate change symptoms, their livelihood is facing more changes.