Social Network Analysis for Planning and Environmental Co-management

The stakeholders and natural resources are not discrete and independent. Therefore, natural resource management needs to explore the dependency on natural resources. One of the best methods for the study of social relations is social network analysis. Kalaleh village is in the Arasbaran biosphere reserve, which is one of the sensitive and unique regions in Iran. The natural resource management plans of this region were incompetent as yet and so the rate of deforestation is high. The main goal of this study was Social Network Analysis in the highest level of users for Planning and Forest Co-management in the Kalaleh village of Arasbaran region. For implicating this study based on quantitative network analysis methods, network analysis questionnaires and linkages of interpersonal trust links, collaboration, kinship, and neighborhood were gathered. The results of the present study showed that density, magnitude, transferring and bilinear indices of collaboration and trust level of bonding ties are low and very low. Statistical results showed in the highest level of users, collaboration and neighborhood links have a significant and high correlation. Finally, the results of this study indicated stakeholders of Kalaleh village are not good enough about cohesion and stability, and before management plans in this village, collaboration and trust level of bonding ties have to be amplification.