Assessing the Sustainable Livelihood Levels of Rural Communities (Case Study: Oramanat Tourist Area)

Rural tourism is one of the most important ways to reduce poverty in rural communities in order to achieve sustainable rural development. The present study examines the levels of sustainable livelihoods of rural communities in Oramanat (four cities of Paveh, Javanrood, Ravansar and Thalas Babajani). The research method is descriptive-correlational and in terms of purpose, it is of applied type. The statistical population of the study was 17763 people (N = 177663) of which 280 people were selected as a sample using a stratified random sampling method with an appropriate assignment to the sample. The research instrument was a researcher-made questionnaire consisting of questions related to farmers' livelihood assets. The Sustainable Living Framework was provided by the Department for International Development. The validity of the questionnaire was examined by faculty members of the Department of Agricultural Extension and Education and the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization of Kermanshah Province and its reliability was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS23 software. Findings showed that the highest level of capital is physical, financial, and social capital and the lowest is human capital. "Renting a house, selling handicrafts, and selling local food" were the main occupations related to tourism. The results showed the positive and significant effect of tourism on the livelihood capital of rural households. Finally, setting up a local tourism office, providing rural infrastructure and equipment for tourists, and paying attention to the initiatives of local people are the general suggestions of the present study.