Evaluation of Urmia Lake Crisis Management Solutions with an Emphasis on Maximum Participation of Farmers (Case Study: Simineroud Watershed)

Due to problems of Urmia Lake, currently, several strategies have been proposed to restore it by the professionals. But it should be noted that the implementation of each plans and project within the watersheds requires the participation of stakeholders and farmers in the watersheds. Due to the lack of attention to stakeholders, many natural resources management and development projects has been failed. Therefore public acceptance and participation of stakeholders in some of the approaches taken to restore Urmia Lake are investigated in the present study. The used tool was the questionnaire in the present study filled by field survey to the study area and interview with stakeholders and the obtained results were analyzed. The results showed that the irrigation system change from traditional to pressure irrigation system with 91.45% approval rating, if implemented, can be considered as the most successful strategy among the investigated strategies. The payment of compensation to farmers for non-utilization of owned farming lands had the appropriate acceptance with 53.55%. Also the 50.25% of stakeholders will be readymade for the use of species with low water demands instead of the use of species with high water demands if the government support. The increase of stakeholder's water charge cant be a great success to reduce cultivation and thus reduce agricultural water use. Finally, so through these plans, irrigation system change plan be in the executive priority, and the next priority the payment of compensation to farmers and farming pattern change are implemented.