Key factors for improving water security in agricultural farming units in Hamedan Province

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Planing and Agricultural Development, Faculty of Agricultural Education and Extension Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran

2 Development, Tarbiat Modares University. Tehran. Iran

10.22059/ijaedr.2026.404297.669393

Abstract

Climate change significantly impacts water availability, making water security in agriculture crucial for sustainability. This study aimed to identify key factors for improving water security in agricultural farming units in Hamedan Province during 2022-2023. The statistical population consisted of 100 experts from the Hamedan Provincial Regional Water Company, Agricultural Jihad Organizations, and Rural Cooperatives. Using the Krejcie-Morgan table, a sample size of 80 was determined, and simple random sampling was employed. Data were collected via a questionnaire whose validity was confirmed by agricultural experts and faculty members, with reliability assessed through Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Data analysis was performed using Smart-PLS3 and SPSS25 software. Results indicated that the most critical factor explaining water security improvement was the "managerial-institutional indicator" with a path coefficient of 0.960. This indicator held greater priority and influence than the "economic indicator" (path coefficient: 0.873) and the "technical-infrastructural indicator" (path coefficient: 0.865). Overall, water security enhancement in Hamedan's agricultural units is predominantly influenced by managerial-institutional factors. Strengthening these factors plays a more decisive role in achieving agricultural sustainability compared to economic and technical-infrastructural dimensions. Therefore, prioritizing water security and its indicators emerges as an essential prerequisite for sustainable agricultural development and the sustainability of agro-ecosystems in Hamedan Province. Accordingly, policies for improving water security in Hamedan's agricultural sector should focus on: strengthening water governance, enhancing farmer participation in water-related decision-making, building institutional and educational capacity among farmers, and improving coordination mechanisms among water and agricultural management institutions.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Extended Abstract

Introduction

    The body of an article always opens with an introduction. The introduction contains a succinct description of the issues being reported, their historical antecedents, and the study objectives. The introduction of an article frames the issues being studied. Climate change is impacting water availability, making water security in agriculture crucial for sustainability. Climate change has had significant impacts on Iran's agricultural sector, the most important of which include a sharp decline in agricultural products, a drop in farm yields, increased vulnerability of farmers to economic and environmental shocks, a threat to the livelihoods of rural communities, and an escalation of water tensions. These challenges have intensified, especially in small-scale units, which constitute more than 70 percent of the country's total agricultural farming units, and have made farmers particularly vulnerable to this phenomenon. In the west of the country, especially Hamedan Province, due to water stress, a decrease in average annual rainfall, drying up of canals, a decrease in spring flow, and the unusability of agricultural wells due to a drop in water levels, there is a shortage of water resources in rural areas, especially in agricultural farming units. In the face of the water resource scarcity crisis, the sustainable water management approach has been agreed upon as the dominant paradigm in scientific and policy circles. Within the framework of sustainable water resource management, water security is considered a key and multidimensional indicator. Accordingly, identifying and formulating the prerequisites for water security is an essential step. The prerequisites include resources, inputs, technology such as education, drought-resistant seeds, and modern irrigation. The present study, considering the problems of water insecurity in Hamedan province, analyzes the prerequisites for improving water security in agricultural farming units of Hamedan province and aims to provide an answer to the question: What are the key factors for improving water security at the level of agricultural farming units?

 

Method

    This study employed a mixed-methods approach, with a predominance of quantitative methods. The research is applied in purpose, non-experimental in terms of control over variables, field-based in data collection, and descriptive-correlational in terms of data analysis. The research process began with a review of theoretical frameworks, followed by semi-structured interviews aimed at identifying key factors affecting water security. The target population consisted of 100 experts and specialists in the field of water management in Hamedan Province. This included professionals from the Agricultural Jihad Organization, rural cooperatives, and the Regional Water Joint-Stock Company. Using the Krejcie and Morgan sampling table, a sample of 80 participants was selected through simple random sampling to ensure representativeness. Based on the results of the literature review and interviews, relevant indicators were identified and categorized into three main dimensions, which were used to develop the research questionnaire: Economic indicators; institutional –Managerial indicators, Technical–Infrastructural indicators. These indicators formed the basis key factors for improving water security in agricultural farming units in Hamedan province has been conducted.

 

Results

    The overall key factors for improving water security in the agricultural farming system were three structures: institutional-managerial with a path coefficient of 0.960, ranked first in terms of impact and from the respondents' perspective played the greatest role in explaining the key factors for improving water security in farming units in Hamedan province. The economic-environmental indicator with a path coefficient of 0.873 ranked second in importance and the indicator with a path coefficient of 0.865 ranked third in terms of impact. Overall, the improvement of water security in agricultural units in Hamedan Province is primarily influenced by managerial– institutional factors, and strengthening these factors plays a more decisive role in achieving agricultural sustainability compared to economic and technical–infrastructural dimensions

 

Conclusions

    According to the findings of this study, improving water security in agricultural units in Hamedan province is influenced by three main groups of key factors: institutional-managerial, economic, and technical-infrastructural. In the area of institutional -managerial key factors, holding training workshops for users, encouraging the establishment of “water users’ cooperatives” for collective monitoring of water distribution, and also implementing regulations such as reducing fees for water-intensive crops (such as potatoes) are among the key measures. In the area of economic-environmental key factors, it is essential to create a balance between productivity and sustainability by simultaneously paying attention to financial justification and preserving ecosystems. Concrete examples of these key factors include paying subsidies to replace flood irrigation systems with energy-efficient methods (such as a drip irrigation model project in wheat fields with the participation of the Agricultural Bank), using treated wastewater from Hamedan city to irrigate green spaces and gardens, which in addition to reducing pressure on groundwater resources, reduces production costs, and imposing a tax on unauthorized exploitation of wells in the eastern plains of the province, which has led to an increase in land subsidence. In the field of technical-infrastructural key factors, the use of technological innovations and optimization of infrastructure is vital to reduce the gap between water supply and demand. These measures include installing humidity sensors in model farms for intelligent monitoring of water needs and connecting them to automatic irrigation systems, constructing rainwater collection structures in livestock units to provide part of the required water, and restoring historical aqueducts in cooperation with the Cultural Heritage Organization and Jihad Keshavarzi as supplementary water sources.

Author Contributions

This article is an extract from a postdoctoral research project, the contribution and role of the first author was as the project leader, and the second author was as the project guide and host.

Data Availability Statement

Not applicable

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Tarbiat Modares University and the National Elite Foundation

Ethical considerations

The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of  Tarbiat Modares, The authors avoided data fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, and misconduct.

Conflict of interest

The author declares no conflict of interest.

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Iranian Journal of Agricultural Economics and Development Research
Volume 56, Issue 4
January 2025
Pages 251-270

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