Assessing social dimension of water security in villages of Harsin county in the semi-arid agricultural region of Kermanshah in west of Iran

Abstract

Population growth and low average rainfall are main causes of drought and water-based problems in Iran. The present study assesses the level of resilience and coping capacity against water-based disasters, especially droughts on four villages of Harsin county in the semi-arid agricultural region of Kermanshah in west of Iran. The assessment of social dimensions of water security is considered as a quantitative research in terms of nature and functional in terms of objective. The statistical population of the study consisted of 6068 rural farmers and, using Krejcie and Morgan table, sample size was determined as 361 people, who were chosen via a stratified random sampling method. Data were gathered using a structured questionnaire whose face validity was confirmed through a panel of experts and its reliability was estimated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient (above 0. 84). In this study, the paired comparisons using experts' views to weigh indicators were used. According to the results of this section, infrastructural resilience and drought coping capacity have the highest importance in the concept of social dimension of water security. The study provides recommendations for policy and decision makers to enhance coping strategies at the local level to deal with water-based disasters in the study area.