Identifying and explaining the effects of drought in rural areas in Iran from viewpoints of farmers (Case Study: Esfejin village, Zanjan county)

The main purpose of this study was to identify and explain the effects of drought in rural areas of Iran. The statis­tical population of this study consisted of all the heads of households of Esfejin village in Zanjan County (N = 2932). A sample of 340 persons was selected using a method of simple random sampling. Data were collected from face-to-face interviews with respondents based on a structured questionnaire. A pilot study was conducted to establish reliability of the questionnaire. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used for the main scale of questionnaire, which scored more than 0.75, confirming its appropriate reliability. The results revealed that four factors can be considered as important for identifying and explaining the effects of drought in Esfejin village and these factors were economic, environmental, social and psychological. The findings of this study contribute to a better understanding of the effects of drought in rural areas and can be implemented in future planning of proper programs to overcome these effects.