Water resources are declining at an alarming rate in the world. The use of water resources for agricultural production has contributed to the rapid decline in quantity and degradation of water quality. Though sustainable agriculture must be economically viable, ecologically sound and socially responsible, water scarcity has challenged the sustainability of agriculture, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. There is a relative consensus among professionals that the increasing water scarcity through excessive use of water and mismanagement of the available water resources are major concerns for agricultural sustainability. Agricultural sustainability is assessed using various indicators, but the contribution of the water factor in those indicators is limited. Therefore, we review the role of sustainable water management in achieving agricultural sustainability. We propose an agricultural water poverty index (AWPI) as an instrument to provide a holistic picture of vital issues for sustainable water management. We also distill key components of the agricultural water poverty index and discuss its applications. The agricultural water poverty index can be used to assess the agricultural water poverty among farmers and regions and to provide guidelines for sustainable water management. This article uses the case of Iran to illustrate the application of the agricultural water poverty index in analyzing agricultural water poverty and providing recommendations for sustainable water management. sustainable agriculture / water management sustainability / agricultural water poverty / Iran
This study aimed to investigate young adults’ intention regarding water conservation in Iran. To achieve this goal, we applied a modified theory of planned behavior, with moral norm and self-identity being two additional determinants of intention and behavior. A face-to-face survey (N = 428) was undertaken in two universities, in south-western Iran. The reliability and validity of the instruments were examined and approved. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The key findings were that self-identity, moral norm, attitude, and perceived behavioral control were all significant in determining intention, while subjective norm was not a significant predictor of intention. The findings of this study provided preliminary support for the theory of planned behavior and an extended model being used as an effective framework for examining water conservation among Iranian citizens. In addition, we found that self-identity and moral norm can capture a significant proportion of the variation in intention regarding water conservation.
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