Identification of the Factors Affecting the Adoption of Water Users Association with an Emphasis on Social Capital (Case Study: Ramshir Farmers, Khuzestan Province)

Water is an urgent input in agriculture and its optimum consumption needs management and water users associations can be a tool for this intention. The purpose of the study was to identify the factors affecting the adoption of water users association with an emphasis on social capital. The study was quantitative in nature, applied in terms of purpose, and descriptive regarding the degree of variables control. All farmers around the project area of development and equipping of subsidiary irrigation and draining networks in Ramshir Township in Khuzestan Province (N = 382) formed the population of the study. The sample size was estimated according Cochran formula as 95 people, who were selected randomly as the sample of the study. Data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire whose face and content validities were confirmed by experts and reliability of different parts of it by calculating the Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The results indicated that more than 67% of the subjects studied are in the low and average levels of social capital index. Moreover, the existence of a relatively strong and direct correlation between social capital and the adoption of water user association was another result. Furthermore, social capital, participation in extension courses, and economic motivation were, respectively, the most effective factors in accepting water users association.