Evaluation of Farmers’ Resilience Against Socioeconomic Consequences of Drought: A Case Study on Sabzevar, Iran

Rural economy depends substantially on agricultural activities. As Iran is situated on the belt of drought, there is a serious threat for rural economy, and as a consequence a threat for rural persistence and resilience. The current study aimed at evaluating the farmers’ resilience against social and economic consequences of drought.

It was a survey study including all farmer family breadwinners living in Sabzevar, Iran, among which 301 were selected from 14 villages to be studied. Statistical reliability of the social and economic consequences was 0.754 and 0.876, respectively. Single sample t test was used to evaluate the results of the survey. The study used 57 items and 14 components to assess the consequences of drought.

From the economical point of view, the average value for components of production value, production quality, cost of natural resources (losses), production costs, costs of living, and investment were 2.65, 2.08, 21.35, 31.37, 10.22, 5.53, and 2.97, respectively; and from the social point of view, the average value for components of quality of life, poverty, employment, mental stress, reduction of public security, increase of crime, and social damage were 13.12, 9.08, 6.01, 14.97, 8.94, 15.40, and 16.30, respectively.

The results obtained by t test showed that the studied villages were not resilient against drought. Two general approaches were finally suggested to cope with drought.