Investigating Range Conservation Strategies with participatory approach and combining AHP & SWOT method, Case study: Hamedan Province

Ranges are considered as the natural and renewable resources, despite being in renewable resources group, due to inappropriate exploitation in many parts of the world, they have been destabilized and destroyed. The purpose of this study was to find ways to protect rangelands in Hamadan province. General approach of this research is descriptive and analytical, it has mainly used qualitative methods and emphasized on the participatory approach to increase the accuracy and depth of the results. Due to the ability in providing a reasonable framework for developing solutions the "SWOT" analysis method has been used in the research study. In many studies, to identify SWOT factors (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) and determining strategies only depends on previous studies or researcher's views, but in this research to determine the elements or factors of SWOT and identification of approaches a set of methods was used, including: "brainstorming" holding in a session, "Participatory rural appraisal" (PRA) workshop in 8 session, and 15 questionnaires completed by experts. In the next step, factors of SWOT quantified by "AHP" method and completing of 18 questionnaires of paired comparison in Saaty's scale was done by experts, this method is the combination of SWOT with AHP. Accordingly, in the matrix of SWOT analysis 20 strategies were introduced. The most important factors of the strategies which have presented based on need for comprehensive participation and views of the people, restore confidence in the government and nation in terms of natural resource management, using the power of NGOs, use of new techniques and social networking for conservation of ranges, power sharing and decentralization for make decision about natural resources and suitable distribution of operational experts to office centers in smaller areas (Dehestan). It also has proposed creating the"engineering supervisor of natural resources" and the supporting of the specific service companies of rangelands.