فصلنامه روستا و توسعه
سال بیست و یکم شماره 4 (پیاپی 84، زمستان 1397)

This study aimed at assessing and analyzing the indicators of sustainable rural development in rural areas of Tangestan County in Bushehr province of Iran. It was an applied study in terms of purpose and a descriptive-analytical study in terms of method. The statistical population included 92 villages with 15476 households. By using the literature, 98 indicators within 11 indexes and the share of each in the development were considered. In this regard, to measure the sustainability of indexes, the linear Standardization and Prescott Allen division methods were used. In addition, Z-SCORE method was used for calculating the degree of development as well as the critical degree calculation method was used for prioritizing the indexes. Based on the study results, 18 percent of the studied indexes were considered as sustainable and 82 percent as unsustainable. Based on the study findings, Baghak, Ahram, Delvar and Bolkhair sub-districts were respectively placed in the first to fourth priorities in planning and making targeted investments in the Tangestan County.

Economic infrastructural development and human development planning will be more efficient in national development if regional gap is determined and resolved. Manpower is a main factor for advancing goals and macro economic and social policies at the national and regional levels. In this study, villages of provinces in Iran were classified through a Pheatmap chart in the period of 2000-2013. The results showed that the villages were divided into the three main groups in terms of the economic infrastructure index and into the two main groups in terms of the human development index; in addition, the villages of Sistan and Baluchistan province had a different situation from all the villages of other provinces. Crucial regional challenges in development process can be reduced by identifying and determining the factors to reduce regional gaps.

This study aimed at measuring the livelihoods of rural farmers based on the field method in Shazand County of Markazi province  of Iran. It was conducted in a documentary, analytical and field method. The statistical population included households in villages of the County. The sample size was calculated 370 rural households by using Cochran formula and was distributed in a cluster classification method among the villages. Field data was collected through questionnaires. The study results showed that the livelihood assets were not equal in terms of sustainability; financial and natural assets with the averages of 2.59 and 2.84 were the most unsustainable and physical asset with an average of 3.52 was the most sustainable dimensions of the framers' livelihoods in the County. Also, the produced interpolation maps showed that the spatial distribution of sustainable livelihood assets followed the eastern-western pattern, so that the eastern villages had more sustainable livelihoods than the western ones.

Degradation of ecosystem is one of the crises of the twenty-first century, occurring as a result of human intervention. Each ecosystem is characterized by its economic, social and ecological structures. Consequently, the ecosystem's ecological potential is characterized based on the ecological analysis of ecosystems. The purpose of this study was to investigate the ecological sustainability of allotments, utilized by Shahsavan nomads in summer rangelands of the Sabalan Mountain in south of Meshginshahr County, Ardabil province. Ten indicators were chosen to measure and evaluate the ecological sustainability. To determine the relationship between sustainability and conventional systems, analysis of variance and for comparing the means, Duncan test were used. The results showed that the ecological sustainability in 33 percent of the allotments was lower and in 50 percent of them was higher than an average of 26-34; in addition, the factors such as numerous livestock and operators had impacts on the sustainability of the pastures. These results were confirmed by comparing the average scores with the Duncan test.

This study aimed at comparing the methods of Makhdoom System Analysis and Fuzzy-Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) for assessing the ecological capability of Sari-Qamish watershed in Ardabil province of Iran for agricultural and range management activities. After determining the criteria, AHP method was used for weighting; and Fuzzy method was used in Idrisi Selva software for applying semi scale to the layers. In the method of Makhdoom System Analysis, the map of ecological units of the area along with the table of characteristics of the units were prepared by integrating the information layers, and the area was evaluated; then, different classes of farming and rangeland were identified. According to the results, in AHP-Fuzzy method, 3532.9 hectares (65.94 percent) and in the System Analysis method, 635.2 hectares (11.85 percent) of the region had the potential for agriculture. Moreover, the results showed that for agriculture and range management uses, in the System Analysis method, there were classes 3, 4, 5 and 6 and in AHP-Fuzzy method, there were classes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 in the region. The overall study results showed that compared with the System Analysis method, the Fuzzy-AHP method had more flexibility and more consistency with the existing status of land use in the region. So, it was suggested to use AHP-FUZZY method in studying land capability assessment instead of using System Analysis method.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between financial stress and quality of work life among the rural people of Ilam County of Iran. The statistical population included 21658 employed people living in the concerned rural areas, out of which 377 persons sampled by random sampling were selected according to Morgan table. The validity of questionnaire was confirmed by a panel of experts, and its reliability was estimated to be 0.76 by Cronbach's alpha. Regression analysis showed that the variables including the rural people's ages, number of children, quality of financial life, stress of job conditions, and working hours per week had the greatest impact on the quality of work life.

The purpose of this research was to assess the tourism sustainability in Horeh sub-district of Chahar-Mahal and Bakhtiyari province of Iran. It was an applied research conducted in a descriptive-analytical method. The required data were collected in both documentary and field methods. The statistical population consisted of 3267 households as well as tourists in the villages of Horeh sub-district. The total sample size was 344 household heads and 170 tourists. The results showed a low sustainability of the studied rural areas in the environmental, economic and social dimensions. In this regard, the least average amounts of sustainability were related to the indicators including pollution (0.205), security (0.305) and land resources (0.316); and the best condition was related to the indicators including increased awareness (0.497), immigration control (0.415), and justice and economic welfare (0.410). Accordingly, planning for sustainable tourism development was found to be a fundamental requirement for improving the living conditions within the studied area.