Clarification of Relationship between population and Sustainable Rural Development(case study: Mashhad county)

Undoubtedly, the most important population problem in rural areas of developing countries, including Iran, is population evacuation of low power rural in Favor of powerful rural settlements, borders, and towns. Given the importance of this issue, this study examines the comparative sustainability levels between two groups of emigrant and emigrant villages of Mashhad. The research method is descriptive - analytical with causal - comparative approach and data collection has taken with documents and field methods and using 380 household questionnaires in 41 sample villages. Cronbach's alpha is (.55 to .67) that indicates the optimality of questionnaire. In this study the dependent variable is population balance and the three dimensions of sustainability include economic, social and environmental has considered as independent variables. Analysis has taken using inferential statistics (two samples T-test and man – Whitney) using Spss software. 20 years Mashhad cities population balance between 2006-1996 shows that 74 percent of rural settlements with a negative balance are immigrant, and only 26 percent of rural settlements have a positive balance and are emigrant. Comparison survey of the mean expresses higher level of sustainable in economic, social and environmental dimensions in immigrant villages respectively 14.5, 21.4, 11.1 compared to rural emigrant respectively, 13.3 , 20.9, 9.1, and in general the average degree of stability in immigrant villages with 23.6 is higher than emigrant village with 19.5. Since the homogeneous regions are similar limitations, it is necessary that make programs proportional to the existing potential and capacity of immigrant and emigrant rural settlements.