The Study of Social Effects of Dams on Sustainability of Rural Settlements (Case Study: Karun-3 Dam-Izeh County)

Dam as one of the regional and national developmental infrastructure of each country has different impacts on its surroundings, including rural settlements. These effects are effective in a variety of dimensions, including the social component and the sustainability process. In this article, the case of Karun dam is emphasized. This dam has had various effects on its surroundings, including rural areas, because by creating this dam the spatial-location dimensions and the development process of villages and urban areas in the area has been effected. In addition to the 11-years period, the project has provided some beds for villagers in terms of employment and activities, but the social structures of the villages have also been affected. In order to find out how Karun 3 Dam as one of the water resources development projects in Iran has had social impacts since its inception (since 1994) on the rural areas of the region and has worked in the direction of social sustainability, a systematic review of this issue can be used in this area to be generalized to other areas and dam construction samples.
Methods and Materials: The research method is based on the nature is of the descriptive-analytical and based on the purpose is functional. Out of 63 villages around Karun III Dam, 38 villages were selected based on specific geographical features. The statistical population of the study was 2531 households. The sample was computed using the Cochran formula of 334 households and, in order to increase the reliability of the sample, the number was increased to 350 households.

The results showed that due to the significance level obtained for the studied variables equal to 0.000, there is a significant difference in the field of social sustainability of rural areas before and after the creation of the dam. This difference can be seen in the variables of housing structure, development of amenities and services. The survey also showed that the three variables of population changes, location and spatial dependence and socio-cultural structure with respect to the presented values, the situation before and after the creation of the dam for each of them was better and more favorable and by creating dam, their situation is unstable. In general, of the total of 5 variables studied in the social sector, the three variables have become unstable after the creation of the dam, and the other two variables are more appropriate than before the creation, their position is more appropriate. However, this improvement was not much different from the section before the dam was constructed. Thus, it can be stated that the dam emphasizes social variables, although it has some desirable and positive effects in some cases, but these effects are very low and in fact its negative and unstable effects are more. In addition, the results indicate that there is a significant difference between the type of villages (unmodified villages, displaced villages and villages of land ownership) due to the impact of the dam. In fact, the dam has different effects on social development in terms of social variables on the surrounding villages. At least one of the listed villages is different from the other two in terms of the impact of the dam in terms of social sustainability. Therefore, before the dam, except for the development of facilities and services, other variables are defined in terms of the level of stability among the homogeneous rural groups, with at least one difference. This situation is true for all variables after the dam has been created. Also, the analysis of qualitative studies shows that the most important social impacts of dam on rural settlements can be unbalanced development, destruction of ancient works, increasing crime and suicide, increasing population aging, reducing trust, reducing participation, weakness in services, Increasing immigration and so on. Most of these effects will lead to rural instability.

The results showed that the dam has a significant impact on variables such as development of amenities, services, population changes, spatial dependency, housing structure and socio-cultural structure of rural settlements. The process of these effects, both before and after the creation of the dam, has led to social instability. It has played an important role in the process of indicators such as the lack of development of facilities and the acceleration of rural migration. In addition, there is a significant difference between the rural groups defined as the effect of the dam, for each of the social variables. The effects created by the creation of a dam in reality undermine the social sustainability of the countryside, which has negative effects as well as social instability. If this can be prevented, a systematic planning based on the sustainability of rural settlements should be emphasized.