Analysis of Participation groups in the Context of Demographic Characteristics of the Benchele Watershed of Kermanshah Province

Introduction and Goal
Sustainable governance of natural resources is a set of local institutional social actions and reactions of all watersheds beneficiaries. This approach, by providing an appropriate environment for presenting participatory process models, is considered a suitable platform for strengthening the target community alongside the government and the private sector. Given the complexity of issues related to natural resources, management them is not an absolute respond to existing problems; for this reason, numerous approaches have been presented in this field in recent years, among the most important approaches is the important role of local community participation alongside sustainable governance. Because, by examining the role of participation available to rangers and the relationship between them, the necessary basis is provided for determining an efficient policy to improve the level of voluntary participation of rangers. The sustainability of watershed management programs depends on the active participation of watersheds in planning and implementation activities. Therefore, it is important to examine the demographic characteristics of each watershed as one of the factors affecting watershed participation. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate demographic factors as one of the factors affecting watershed residents' participation in the Benchele watershed of Kermanshah, which indicates the difference in rangeland management goals among beneficiaries. In addition, the extent of rangeland owners' participation in achieving specific rangeland management goals was also examined.
Materials and Methods
The research was applied from the perspective of purpose, descriptive-survey research from the perspective of research method, and quantitative research from the perspective of the nature of the data. The target population included the customary users of the Benchele watershed. The statistical population in this study was 569 household heads. The sample size of this study was determined using the Cochran formula as 229 heads consisting of men and women. Random sampling was used to select the samples. The tool used in this method to collect data and information was a questionnaire. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by experts and its reliability was confirmed by Cronbach alpha coefficient (alpha greater than 0.7). Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 26 software. The participatory items in this study were determined with the goals of controlling runoff and controlling floods, preventing soil erosion, and directing water to the surface of groundwater tables in the Benchele watershed. The questions focused on demographic variables that affect the variable of watershed participation. In the analysis of the collected information, the descriptive statistics of the mean and the inferential statistics of Pearson, Spearman and Chi-square were used. In the analysis of the collected information, the descriptive statistics of the mean and the inferential statistics of Pearson, Spearman and Chi-square were used. In order to examine the relationship between the variables of age, income, watershed management history, household size, distance of the watershed from the place of residence and education, the Pearson statistic was used, and to examine the relationship between the variable of gender and the level of participation, the Spearman test was used. Also, the Chi-square statistic was used to examine the relationship between different levels of variables based on their contribution size.
Results and Discussion
The results obtained from the Pearson correlation test showed that there was a positive and significant relationship between the variables of age, income, and distance from the watershed to the place of residence, watershed management experience, and household size with the participation of watershed residents. The results obtained from the Spearman correlation test showed that the relationship between gender and individual participation in the Benchele watershed was not significant. The results obtained from the Kruskal-Wallis test also showed that, except for the gender variable, the relationship other variables such as age, annual income, watershed management experience, education level, distance from the watershed to the place of residence, and household size was significant with participation. The results obtained from the Kruskal-Wallis test showed that the difference in participation among the 12 villages studied was significant. The highest average participation was in the villages of Baba Aziz (11.51) and the lowest participation was in the villages of Gel Sefid (9.23). Based on the results of this study, it will be necessary to examine various demographic factors in assessing the level of participation of watershed residents. The results indicated that people with lower literacy levels were more likely to participate in implementing conservation projects due to their greater dependence on watersheds for their livelihoods. As household size increases and household livelihoods improve, the willingness to participate in water and soil resource protection projects and benefit from their benefits will also increase. Based on the results of this study, gender was not identified as an effective predictor of individuals' participation in natural resource management plans.
Conclusion and Suggestions
The importance of watershed management as a holistic approach to the sustainable management of water and soil resources in the field of watershed management. Among these, demographic factors are considered to be among the most important factors affecting participation. In Iran, one of the ways to achieve sustainability and principled exploitation of watersheds by society is to examine demographic characteristics. Demographic factors form the main structure of society's behavior towards water and soil resources. On the other hand, the behavior of individuals in the watershed will also guarantee the health of the watershed. Apart from gender, the effect of various demographic factors, including age, watershed management experience, annual income, education level, household size, and distance of watershed residents from the watershed, on participation varied. This difference was largely due to the understanding of water and soil resources and the livelihood status of local communities. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate demographic factors as one of the factors affecting watershed residents' participation in the Benchale watershed of Kermanshah, which showed the difference in rangeland management goals among beneficiaries. In addition, the extent of rangeland owners' participation in achieving specific rangeland management goals was also investigated.  Therefore, it is suggested that educational programs should be defined for all segments of the Benchale watershed of Kermanshah province, regardless of economic and social conditions. Therefore, it is suggested that diverse sources of income be provided to target communities and that efficient education and financial support packages be provided to different groups of watershed residents in order to actively participate in water and soil resource protection programs.