The role of social facilitation in empowering local communities to participate in water transfer project in Sistan plain

Articles in Press

Document Type : Applied Article

Authors

Ommolbanin Khajeh

enayat abbasi

Homayoun Farhadian

Tarbiat Modares University

10.22067/jwsd.v13i1.2604-1512

Abstract

The 46000-hectare Sistan plain irrigation project was launched in 2014–2015 as one of the important water supply projects in the country. Social facilitators, as capable, aware individuals familiar with the specific social issues and relationships in the Sistan region, played a key role in gaining public support and participation in the project. The aim of this research was to examine the role of social facilitation in empowering local communities to participate in Sistan plain water transfer project. The research was a descriptive correlational and causal comparative conducted as field research. The statistical population included all farmers covered by the water transfer project (N = 56,693), of whom 381 were selected as the sample using stratified random sampling with proportional allocation. The data collection tool was a questionnaire, its validity was confirmed by experts and the reliability was achieved using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. SPSS 26 software and correlational and comparative statistical tests were used to analyze the data. The findings indicated that the variables of trust-building, awareness-raising, institutionalizing and mainstreaming as well as personality and psychological characteristics, and technical knowledge and skills, had a significant relationship with the empowerment of villagers and farmers. Furthermore, the findings revealed a positive and significant relationship between the empowerment and participation in the project. The results of the causal analysis indicated that the variable of empowerment had the greatest overall causal effect on the participation. The variables of trust-building, institutionalizing and mainstreaming, technical knowledge and skills, personality characteristics, and awareness-raising were in the next ranks.

Keywords

Water transfer projects

Social facilitation

Trust-building

Empowerment

Institutionalizing

Subjects

• Water Transfer & Hydraulic Structures

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