Analyzing the Economic and Social Effects of Drought on Rural Communities in Semnan County of Iran

Droughts, as the most complex natural disasters, affect the lives of many rural inhabitants with a farm-dependent economy. This study aimed at analyzing the economic and social effects of drought on rural communities in Semnan County of Iran. It was a descriptive-analytic research. Statistical population included the heads of households in villages of the County; and accordingly, the sample size was estimated 340 people through Cochran formula. The sampling was conducted in a stratified sampling method. The study was mainly conducted through a questionnaire, the validity of which was obtained by using a panel of experts and masters in agriculture, and its reliability was confirmed by a pre-test through the Cronbach's alpha (0.946). According to the results of exploratory factor analysis, the content of economic and social effects of drought was mainly categorized into four components, including: livelihood crisis, production stagnation and weakened agriculture, cultural and psychological, and social and participatory factors that explain about 55.812 percent of the variations in economic and social effects of drought. Based on the study findings, some recommendations were made to reduce the economic and social effects of drought on the studied rural community and to improve policy making as well as the management of this phenomenon.