Consequences of water deficiency crisis and become dry of Zayande-Roud in rural areas (Case study: Baraan plain in eastern Isfahan)

Shortage of natural and finance resources, integrated poverty, unemployment, immigration and depopulation of villages from young and efficient population, are some of disadvantages and deep rooted barriers which expanding the differences between rural and urban communities and leading the rural communities' sustainability and development to fail consequently. Proliferation and application of such mismanagements to only aquifer Zayande-Roud water basin of central Iran in recent years, accompanied by exacerbation of climatic deficiencies and continuation of droughts, have intensified the water deficit crisis so that conducted to becoming dry the Zayande-roud River and tensing the livelihood and dwelling situations of inferior rural communities of the basin. Investigation and assessing of socio-economical and environmental impacts of this phenomenon in a completely rural region, called Baraan, located at the east of Isfahan metropolitan is the main purpose of this study. The statistical population was also all of the rural family heads populated and agriculturally occupied in the region. To gather the needed data, a detailed questionnaire was designed, validated and completed by interviewing the sample of family heads, which randomly sampled and proportionally assigned to selected villages. The main impacts of recent occurred droughts water deficiency crisis in the studied rural area, have been related to social structure, economical fundamentals and opportunities of agriculture sector and finally the environmental dimensions about the management and qualities of land resources. The dominant type of the region's farming systems has been the integrated up to 5 hectare farms. Environmental damages and vulnerabilities due to droughts have been considerable and more significant in small size and disperse farm types. Modification of cropping pattern and application of new and more efficient irrigation and water conveyance methods, as the adaptation and compatibility approaches against the drought and water deficiency crisis, are unfortunately impossible or unperceived obligatory by many of farmers due to their demographic and farming style properties. Due to the disincentive roles of the small size integrated farms up to 5 hectare and senescence and illiteracy or low literacy of farmers, awareness, adoption and application of such innovative actions require vast and well programmed and presented extension and education services.