Farmers' Views on Rules Observance in Water Governance (Case Study: Farmers in Sabzevar County, Khorasan Razavi Province)

Iran is located in an arid region of the world. Drought and water shortages are clearly seen in most parts of the country. Mismanagement of water and lack of good water governance exacerbate the consequences of droughts. Good water governance refers to the adaptability of rules, responsibility of organisations, clarification and integration of programs, ethical considerations, and observance of justice in the provision of water-related services. The establishment and proper implementation of sustainable water governance require fair legal frameworks and unbiased executive organisations. The purpose of this research survey is to investigate the status of rule-observance in the good governance of water from the farmers' point of view. Using random cluster sampling, 202 farmers from 25 villages in Sabzevar County were studied. The results showed that "the rate of compliance with the rules for agricultural water in the region" and the "respect for farmers' rights in relation to agricultural water" are ranked as the first and last, respectively. Furthermore, the index of rule-observance in good water governance can be evaluated at the medium level. Meanwhile, farmers using the subterranean canal, as well as farmers with less rental lands and more annual income from agriculture, were believed more in the rules-observance in water governance. The use of indigenous knowledge and the participation of farmers in the establishment of the related rules are the suggestions of the present research to strengthen the rules-observance in the good governance of agricultural water.