Stakeholder Analysis of Agricultural Innovation System to Develop Participatory Water Management in Lake Urmia basin

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran

2 Vice President and Head of the Department Of Environment

3 College of agricultural economics and development, Department of agricultural extension and education

Abstract

The development of participatory water management in the basin as a social transformation is dependent on agricultural innovation, and identifying this system is a prelude to its improvement and development in line with the transition to participatory management of water resources. The purpose of this study was to investigate and analyze the stakeholders of agricultural innovation system in Lake Urmia basin in West Azarbaijan province. A focus group, semi-structured interviews and questionnaires with experts and key informants at the Lake Urmia basin area were applied to identify the stakeholders of agricultural innovation system. Also, the power-interest matrix and social network analysis were used to classify and analyze the actors and their interactions in order to develop participatory water managment. According to the results, 31 key stakeholders were extracted from the 88 identified primary stakeholders. The results showed that in the area of power most of the cases were related to resource mobilization and in the area of interest was related to value chain development and revenue increase. The social cohesion and sustainability of the agricultural innovation system network were weak in the context of knowledge sharing and information flow, but it was highly robust and stable under critical conditions. The Meteorological Office, the Pressure Irrigation System Design and Consulting Companies, and the West Azerbaijan Center for Sound and Sound Management were located in the area of receiving knowledge and information, further communicated with other key stakeholders. However, the Organization of Agricultural Jihad, local leaders, and agricultural engineering and technology companies also had the center of knowledge disseminating and sharing. In order to develop participatory management in the Lake Urmia basin and sustainable agricultural development, key organizations responsible for agricultural activities are required to adopt appropriate strategies to change their position in the institutional network, while neglecting the effective role of public management in the agricultural innovation system.

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