تحلیل نگرش جوامع روستایی نسبت به پیامدهای هیدرولوژیک و اقتصادی-اجتماعی پروژه‌های آبخیزداری با تأکید بر نقش مشارکت مردمی در آبخیز خانیک گناباد

Introduction and Objective
Local community participation is fundamentally important in watershed management processes. The active involvement of local stakeholders in decision-making, implementing conservation measures, and maintaining soil and water management structures fosters a sense of responsibility, increases social support, and ensures the long-term sustainability of projects. In other words, participation is a key factor in the success or failure of watershed management projects; comprehensive public participation reduces project costs and increases the chances of effective project implementation. To achieve beneficial outcomes and enhance efficiency, it is necessary to evaluate the results and impacts of watershed management measures. Therefore, this study was conducted with the aim of analyzing the attitudes of rural communities towards the hydrological and socio-economic consequences of watershed management projects, emphasizing the role of public participation in the Khanik Gonabad watershed.
Materials and Methods
This research was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of implemented watershed management measures (three earthen dams) in the Khanik Gonabad watershed from the perspective of local stakeholders. This study was descriptive-analytical and survey-based. The statistical population consisted of 120 stakeholder households residing in the watershed. The sample size was estimated at 92 individuals using Cochran's formula, and sampling was done through simple random sampling. The research instrument was a researcher-made questionnaire, whose content validity was confirmed by experts and its reliability was calculated using Cronbach's alpha (0.83). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the non-parametric Friedman test.
Results and Discussion
This research, aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of implemented watershed management measures in the Khanik Gonabad watershed from the perspective of local stakeholders, showed that the implemented projects (three earthen dams) were successful in achieving their main objectives: increasing qanat discharge and reducing flood risk. The results of the Friedman test identified increased qanat discharge as the most important project impact from the local community's perspective, with indicators related to flood reduction and associated damages ranked as subsequent priorities. The overall satisfaction rate of 72% among respondents and the willingness of 59% to implement similar projects in the future indicate the social acceptance of the project and the relative trust of the people in the implementing institutions. However, the economic evaluation of the project revealed that its effects on agricultural production, livestock production, employment, and rural income were limited, with the greatest economic impact confined to an increase in orchard land prices. Socially, the project maintained intra-village cohesion, but the existence of some technical tensions with implementing institutions indicates a need to improve communication and conflict management. Public participation was relatively favorable in the decision-making and maintenance stages but weak in the monitoring and evaluation stage, which could challenge the long-term sustainability of the project. Supplementary analyses showed that farmers and owners of larger landholdings evaluated the project as more effective, while individuals with higher education were less satisfied. In summary, while confirming the relative success of the Khanik watershed management projects, the present study emphasizes the necessity of strengthening local community participation in all project stages (especially monitoring and evaluation), paying attention to the direct economic benefits for stakeholders, and establishing effective mechanisms for managing technical conflicts. These findings can be used by planners and natural resource managers in designing and implementing similar projects in arid and semi-arid regions of the country.
Conclusions and Recommendations
In summary, the Khanik watershed management project is a successful example of a participatory approach to water and soil resource management, which has managed to gain the trust of the local community and achieve its main objectives. However, shortcomings such as its limited impact on household livelihoods, weaknesses in participatory monitoring, and the existence of technical tensions with implementing institutions indicate that achieving integrated and sustainable watershed management requires strengthening participatory mechanisms in all project stages and paying greater attention to the direct economic benefits for stakeholders. These findings can be utilized by planners and natural resource managers in designing and implementing similar projects in arid and semi-arid regions of the country.