An Analysis of Factors Affecting Farmers' Participation in the Management of Water Network in Jarghouyeh, Isfahan County

The present study was undertaken to analyze factors affecting farmers' participation in the management of water Network in Jarghouyeh district in Isfahan County. A descriptive correlation research design was adopted for the study. At the field work level, surveying was the basic method which was taken into consideration. The statistical population of the study consisted of about 1810 members of Water User Associations (WUAs) of Jarghouyeh district, Isfahan country, out of which 150 farmers wew selected as the sample, using proportional stratified random sampling method. A questionnair was developed for gathering data. The questionnair was validated through a panel of expert judgment; the panel being consisted of the faculty members of the Department of Agricultural Extension and Education of the University of Tehran. The reliability of the questionnair was validated through an application of Chronbach Alpha the coefficient for which was found out to be more than 0.75. The results of linear regression indicated that four variables, viz, cultivated land size, duration of membership in WUAs, farming experience and educational level of farming predicted about 54 percent of the variation of the dependent variable respectively. Factor analysis showed that five factors of: participation in the maintenance and technical development of the network, participation in improving irrigation profitability,, participation in optimum distribution of water, participation in group activities and cooperation with the government water and irrigation agencies accounted for about 72% of variance of farmers' participation in irrigation network management. The findings related to the prioritizing areas of farmers' participation in the management of irrigation network indicate that involvement in constructing new canals and gates, as well as their maintenance and reconstruction were the first two prior activities in which the farmers showed a higher level of enthusiasm for participation.