An Environmental Psychological Analysis of Farmer's Participatory-Oriented Behavior toward Water Conservation

“Combining the technological and social-behavioral solutions: is one of the most important exit strategies in the water crisis that can be useful in creating infrastructural changes in society members towards water resources conversation. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to analyze farmer's participatory-oriented water conservation behavior (FPOWCB) in the environmental psychological background. The study was a descriptive-correlational research. The research instrument was a questionnaire which its validity confirmed by a panel of agricultural extension and education specialists and water experts and its reliability verified using Cronbach's alpha coefficients (0.75≤α≤0.90). The statistical population was farmers in southern part of Urmia Lake's catchment area (N= 23750) that 378 farmers were selected as a sample using Krejcie and Morgan sample size Table and stratified random sampling method. Regression analysis findings revealed that farmers with individualistic values show fewer participatory-oriented behavior toward water resources conservation than whom with collectivist values. Moreover, these two variables could predict 32.5% of changing FPOWCB. The result of independent t test showed there is a significant difference in terms of FPOWCB between two groups of farmers who participated in training courses related to water issues and those who had not participated in such classes.