نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی
نویسندگان
گروه مدیریت و توسعه کشاورزی، دانشکده کشاورزی، دانشکدگان کشاورزی و منابع طبیعی دانشگاه تهران،چهار راه دانشکده،کرج، استان البرز،
چکیده
کلیدواژهها
موضوعات
عنوان مقاله [English]
نویسندگان [English]
Water security means ensuring sustainable access to sufficient and safe water for various uses, while population growth and increased consumption have put pressure on water resources. This research examines key strategies for maintaining water security by focusing on its fundamental components. The study population consisted of experts from the Agricultural Jihad Organization of Lorestan Province, totaling approximately 130 individuals, from which a sample size of 97 was estimated using Krejcie and Morgan's table. The research tool was a two-part questionnaire: one part included the demographic characteristics of respondents, and the other part pertained to the main components of water security, with indicators provided for each component. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by professors from the Department of Agricultural Management and Development at the University of Tehran, and its reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha. Data analysis was performed using Smart PLS3 software. The results showed that the consumption component had the greatest impact on water security with a path coefficient of 0.769, followed by the economic capacity to supply water with a coefficient of 0.706, the sustainability or continuity of water access with 0.657, the availability of water resources with 0.593, and the physical access to water with 0.592. Given the importance of these five components of water security for preserving water resources, proposed strategies include improving water consumption management methods, adopting modern irrigation techniques, and investing in water infrastructure to ensure sustainable access to water.
کلیدواژهها [English]
Water security, as one of the main pillars of food security and sustainable development, plays a vital role in meeting the needs of human societies. Given the increasing challenges posed by climate change, population growth, excessive water resource consumption, and water pollution, the preservation and sustainable management of water resources have become a global necessity. In this regard, this research, by proposing effective solutions to enhance water security, can significantly contribute to ensuring food security and environmental sustainability.
To achieve this objective, the present study was conducted in Lorestan Province, located in western Iran, from 2024 to 2025. In this study, water security was examined through five main components. The statistical population of this research consisted of 130 (N=130) experts from the Agricultural-Jihad Organization of Lorestan Province, including specialists in water and soil affairs, agronomy, horticulture, agricultural extension, and other agricultural subsectors. Out of them, 100 individuals (n=100) were selected as a sample through purposive sampling and surveyed. The data were collected through face-to-face interviews and a researcher-made questionnaire. The validity of the water security solutions scale was confirmed by a panel of expert judgment after designing the questionnaire in the Department of Agricultural Management and Development at the University of Tehran. To assess the reliability of the questionnaire, both Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability (CR) indices were used, which were at an acceptable level (above 0.7).
The water consumption component with a coefficient of 0.769 has the greatest impact on water security, as excessive water consumption, particularly in the agricultural sector, places significant pressure on water resources. Therefore, the use of modern irrigation technologies contributes to optimal water usage. Additionally, economic capacity to supply water and develop water infrastructure plays a key role in water security. This component, with its optimal coefficient, is crucial for water security. Water sustainability, with a coefficient of 0.657, ensures that water is reliably available to communities. Physical access to water, with a coefficient of 0.592, is associated with the construction of piped water distribution networks and related facilities and is one of the key factors in water security. Finally, the availability of water resources is a fundamental basis for sustainable water management, and this component, with a coefficient of 0.593, plays a significant role in water security. The water consumption component with a coefficient of 0.769 has the greatest impact on water security, as excessive water consumption, particularly in the agricultural sector, places significant pressure on water resources. Therefore, the use of modern irrigation technologies contributes to optimal water usage. Additionally, economic capacity to supply water and develop water infrastructure plays a key role in water security. This component, with its optimal coefficient, is crucial for water security. Water sustainability, with a coefficient of 0.657, ensures that water is reliably available to communities. Physical access to water, with a coefficient of 0.592, is associated with the construction of piped water distribution networks and related facilities and is one of the key factors in water security. Finally, the availability of water resources is a fundamental basis for sustainable water management, and this component, with a coefficient of 0.593, plays a significant role in water security.
Management and improvement of water security require attention to five key components, each of which plays a vital role in ensuring sustainable access to water for communities and ecosystems. In this regard, the following recommendations are proposed. First, optimizing water consumption by promoting the use of low-consumption technologies in the agricultural, industrial, and domestic sectors, along with raising public awareness about the importance of conservation and implementing policies such as consumption-based pricing, can help reduce water demand. Second, physical access to water should be improved by developing water distribution infrastructure, especially in deprived areas, and ensuring equitable water distribution for all communities, particularly vulnerable groups, through the establishment of emergency water storage systems. Third, the sustainability of water resources should be ensured by protecting surface and groundwater from pollution, managing industrial and agricultural waste, and implementing water resources restoration projects such as wetlands and aquifers. Fourth, the economic capacity to provide water should be strengthened by attracting public and private investments, setting realistic water prices, and offering subsidies or support programs to ensure access to water for all. Fifth, the availability of water resources should be enhanced by utilizing unconventional sources such as recycled water and desalination, establishing monitoring and forecasting systems for better water resource management under climate change conditions, and cooperating with neighboring countries for the management of shared water resources.
The study was conceptualized by Zeinab Farashi, Hossein Shabanali Fami, Ali Asadi and Aliakbar Barati who also provided oversight for project administration and funding acquisition. The methodology was developed by Zeinab Farashi, Hossein Shabanali Fami, Ali Asadi and Aliakbar Barati, while the software utilized for data analysis was also implemented by Zeinab Farashi. Validation of the findings involved all authors ensuring the robustness of the results. The formal analysis and investigation were conducted by Zeinab Farashi, who also managed the resources and data curation essential for the research. The original draft of the manuscript was prepared by Zeinab Farashi, Hossein Shabanali Fami and Aliakbar Barati, followed by comprehensive writingو review and editing conducted by all authors. Visualization of the data was performed by Zeinab Farashi. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
The authors would like to thank Department of the Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran for providing some of required cooperation and assistance.
The authors avoided data fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, and misconduct.
The authors declare no conflict of interest
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