Social network analysis of active organizations in the lake Urmia restoration

The combination of factors with exacerbation effects on each other has led to drought in Urmia Lake. The community involved and interacting with the Urmia Lake Basin did not fulfill their duties to the extent that environmental degradation has occurred. The purpose of this study was Social Network Analysis of Active Organizations in the Urmia Lake Restoration on water related issues, livelihood related issues and crop Pattern related issues of cultivation in the provinces of East Azarbaijan and West Azarbaijan.

In this regard, using expert opinion and key information of 40 organizations active in the restoration of Urmia Lake in the provinces of East Azarbaijan and West Azarbaijan, identification and communication and interactions between these organizations using social network analysis in UCINET 6.0 software. The graphs are depicted in the Net Draw software.

According to research results, the density index in the networks of organizations involved in water related issues is moderate, livelihood issues related to near moderate, and crop pattern related issues to poor. The results of the reciprocity index are also fully consistent with the results of the density index, so that organizations have respectively more and less interactions in water related issues (near moderate), livelihood issues related (poor) and crop pattern related issues (poor). Urmia Lake Restoration Program, West Azarbaijan Province, Urmia Lake Restoration Program and Agriculture Organization of West Azerbaijan Province are powerful organizations with more communication and better positioning in the network.

It can be concluded that various organizations involved in the restoration of Urmia Lake in two provinces of East Azarbaijan and West Azarbaijan are concerned with water related issues because of their importance and necessity for organizations to restoration the lake with a relatively modest cohesion in planning and implementation. However, they have not been able to coordinate and coherently deal with issues related to rural livelihood and farmers' crop patterns.