Factors influencing farmers’ management behaviors toward coping with drought: evidence from Iran

Abstract

In recent years, drought has had detrimental impacts on agricultural activities in Iran, so it is of crucial importance to employ drought-coping strategies. As such, the main idea of this research was to discover the factors affecting the use of preventive behaviors by farmers to cope with drought. This research can deepen agricultural decision-makers’ understanding of the use of drought management behaviors. The health belief model (HBM) was used as the theoretical framework for the study. The statistical sample was composed of 410 rainfed farms in Kerman province, Southeastern Iran, taken using the multi-stage technique with proportional allocation. The results of structural equation modeling showed that the variables of cues to action, self-efficacy, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, and perceived benefits had the most significant impact on the adoption of drought-coping behaviors by farmers, mentioned in order of importance. Practically, the research provides a rationale for the use of HBM, and its results provide important policies to help decision-makers to sustain farmers’ livelihoods.