The Role of Water Cooperatives in Improving the Economic and Social Situation of Villagers Covered by Organizations

Abstract Given the water resources and the tensions and conflicts that have arisen in recent years over the use of water resources, it is necessary to pay more attention to the role of local water organizations in order to provide appropriate solutions to control the water crisis. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the role of local organizations in improving the economic and social situation of villagers covered by organizations in Ilam province. The study population included farmers, board members and members of water organizations in Ilam province in 1957, of which 320 were selected using Morgan table and random stratified sampling method with appropriate proportions. The data collection tool in this study was a researcher-made questionnaire. The content validity of the questionnaire was examined and confirmed through the panel of experts. Cronbach's alpha was also used to evaluate the reliability of the questionnaire. In this study, in order to analyze the data, descriptive and inferential statistics of mean comparison tests and SPSS25 software were used. The results showed that the rate of water disputes in villages with local water organizations is low; In other words, proper management of water distribution in villages covered by local water organizations has been able to reduce the conflict between users in the field of water distribution.