Factors Affecting the Failure of the Stakeholders of the Holeylan Irrigation and Drainage Network in Ilam (Case Study: Villages Benefiting from the Holeylan Irrigation and Drainage Network in Ilam Province)

Authors

1 1. Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Central Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran.

2 Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences, Alzahra University, Tehran

3 Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, Islamic Azad University, Abhar Branch, Abhar, Iran

10.22059/jrd.2025.384265.668881

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to analyze the perspective of farmers and pertinent local experts regarding the parameters and processes that influence the performance of Abbaran cooperatives. The objective is to optimize the current system of agricultural water utilization by presenting a contextual theory and a paradigm model that is data-oriented.
The current research methodology is grounded theory, and data is collected through in-depth interviews and focus group interviews. Coding was employed to conduct data analysis. This investigation is conducted through four focus group interviews with 32 consumers of the Holeylan irrigation network in Ilam province and interviews with 10 experts from pertinent government departments.
The intervention conditions consist of 3 categories, the causal conditions consist of 13 categories, the context conditions consist of 9 categories, the exploiters’ strategies consist of 3 categories, and the outcomes consist of 7 categories. “The lack of specific and clear policy in the laws related to public participation in water resource management,” “the performance and coordination level of relevant governmental agencies,” and “the lack of farmers' willingness to join Abbaran cooperatives” were identified as the most significant causal conditions. The main categories of the paradigmatic model are context and intervening conditions, including “the existence of smallholder ownership and lack of land integrity,” “the negative impact of the experience of the previous agricultural joint stock company's in the region,” “the problem of water scarcity,” and “the reduction of exploiters’ trust in the government.”
The core category of the research, which was “functional failure of the Abbaran cooperatives in Holeylan irrigation network,” was logically related to these categories. The processes that led to the emergence of the core category and the resulting consequences have been described and presented in the form of a model.

Keywords


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