How agriculture contributes to reviving the endangered ecosystem of Lake Urmia? The case of agricultural systems in northwestern Iran

Abstract

As the efficient utilization of water resources in the agricultural systems of northwest Iran is an indispensable issue for achieving the conservation of Lake Urmia (LU), this study is intended to examine the determinants of water-saving behavior (WSB), desire and intention to revive LU. The theoretical framework of the study consists of the incorporation of the theory of goal-directed behavior and the theory of capacity building. The data were gathered from a face-to-face farm-level survey of 367 farmers who were selected by the method of stratified random sampling. The first-order confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) serves to ensure that the acceptable values of internal consistency for research indices are obtained, the respective measures are assessed in the form of the factor loading and Cronbach's alpha (.83≤α≤.98). Using SPSS software, the qualitative data were refined and provided for path analysis, which was performed in AMOS software. The goodness of fit test provides evidence that the proposed model fits with data well. The results disclose that attitude towards water saving has a positive impact on the intention to revive LU and WSB. Furthermore, PBC, the performance of NGOs in executing the water interventions and desire to participate in NGOs influence WSB indirectly via desire and intention to revive LU. In conclusion, management implications are delivered to make practical contributions to the revivification of LU in accordance with research findings.