Investigating Factors Affecting the Economic and Social Resilience of Rural Areas (Case Study, Kermanshah County)

Rural areas are always exposed to serious risks and damages, which shows the importance of risk management and forecasting. Resilience is an approach that can help improve rural areas and their response in the face of crisis. In this study, the aim is to identify and analyze the factors affecting the economic and social resilience of rural areas in the form of a case study in Kermanshah. The research method is descriptive-analytical and based on data collection through the field approach. The data collection tool was a questionnaire. The structural and content validity of the questionnaire was approved and its reliability was also confirmed with a Cronbach's coefficient greater than 0.74. The statistical population of the research was formed by the heads of households in the villages with more than 100 households in the central part of Kermanshah city, which were a total of 2314 households. The sample size was determined through Cochran's formula, 330 household heads. The result of the test showed that the economic and social resilience of rural areas is significant at the level of less than 0.05 and according to the calculated average (2.386), their condition is evaluated as unfavorable. Among the 11 indicators of economic and social resilience, two indicators of damage with an average of 3.962, and then preparedness to deal with accidents among villagers with an average of 3.093 had an average status and the rest of the indicators were weak. Also, the results of the factor analysis confirm that the three factors of the prosperity of economic platforms and job creation, improvement of human and social capital, as well as the creation of facilities and income capacities, are the most influential factors in the resilience of rural areas.