Farmers' Lived Experiences of Water Crisis: Lessons Learned from a Phenomenology Study.

Understanding the perception of farmers is essential for successful water resources management especially during water crisis. Therefore, this paper examines farmers' perception about the local water crisis in Gawshan dam basin, Iran. Qualitative phenomenological methodology was used to depict the lived experiences of farmers regarding water crisis. Using critical sampling, out of all water users of the Gawshan dam, the selected participants were farmers having lived experience of water crisis and interested to express and share their experiences. Sixty important statements and five themes were extracted from participants' experiences (PE) in water crisis. Finding showed that farmers have perceived agricultural water crisis at the local level but different pattern of perception also is detected among them. The results also revealed that farmers' perception is related to their direct experience, the way they define water crisis, their memories of water crisis and their expectation of what it holds for future water crisis. It is expected that this study will support decision makers at local level to address water crisis in the region.

Social network analysis for identifying actors engaged in water governance: An endorheic basin case in the Middle East.

Water networks play an important role in complex multi-faceted water governance regimes in which the involvement of various actors could potentially lead to coherent policies. Identifying the collaborating actors and their interaction is essential for the establishment of joint water decision-making. Hence, the present study was aimed at distinguishing entities involved in water governance in Zayandeh-Rud basin, which is known as an endorheic basin in Iran. From an analytical perspective, it also tries to describe and analyze the collaborative pattern of knowledge and information exchange in the basin. Using semi-structured interview protocols, the social network data was gathered from 14 water governance-related organizations, ranging from governmental to non-governmental organizations. Identifying water governance in this basin resulted in an understanding of how human and non-human actors contribute in the practice of supply, delivery, use, and outflow processes. Moreover, considering the power relations and densities of actors' involvement in supply, delivery, use and outflow processes the integrity and coherence of the network power relations were analyzed. The power analysis findings demonstrated how the dominant role of governmental bodies and weak contribution of the private organizations and civil society resulted in up-down decision-making (on the actor component). The coherence criterion (density index) results revealed that water governance network is more coherent among the state actors within the national and extra-basin level (on the scope component). Based on the findings on the dimension component, most attention was focused on the political, administrative and economic dimensions. According to the local experience of water governance gained in this basin, practical ideas would be developed to promote water-governance in the context of transitional countries of the Middle-East.

Social Risk Perceptions of Genetically Modified Foods of Engineers in Training: Application of a Comprehensive Risk Model.

This survey was conducted in 2017 to investigate factors influencing social risk perception of biotechnologists and plant breeders in training toward GM food based on a conceptual model. A random sample of 210 biotechnologists and plant breeders in training was studied. Confirmatory factor analysis and the reliability tests (Cronbach's alpha) have been used to verify the uni-dimensionality of the measurement scale, SEM also was carried out to determine the most parsimonious models with the best fit for social risk perception of GM foods and path analysis was conducted to understand the exogenous variables introduced in the research model. The findings revealed that the engineers in training had moderate social risk perception regarding GM foods. Moreover, the results of structural equation modeling showed the capability of the model in predicting the social risk perceptions of engineers in training. The psychological attributes of risks, social benefit perception, attitude toward using technology, level of religiosity, and moral and ethical beliefs emerged as the most powerful predictors of the social risk perception. The social benefit perception and attitude toward using technology also mediated the effects of psychological attributes of risks, level of religiosity, and moral and ethical beliefs. The social benefit perception also had an indirect influence on the engineers in training's social risk perception of GM foods. Finally, we recommend the application of the model developed by this study for better understanding of social risk perception of stakeholders to have a more informed view of the development and promotion of GM foods.

Determinants of consumers' food management behavior: Applying and extending the theory of planned behavior.

Approximately one quarter of the food supplied in the world is wasted across the food supply chain. Almost half of this amount is related to household food waste, which results from mis-management of consumption. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the consumer food management behavior in order to reduce food waste. Survey data were gathered among 405 Iranian respondents who were responsible for food preparation in their households and were aged from 15 to 64 years old, by using an extended theory of planned behavior (TPB). In addition to measuring the constructs of planned behavior theory, the feeling of guilt construct was incorporated to the model. The extended model was derived and examined through structural equation modeling (SEM). Results showed the usefulness of using the extended model of planned behavior in predicting intention to reduce food waste and food consumption management. Moreover, attitude, perceived behavioral control, feeling of guilt, subjective norm and intention of not wasting food were the drivers of managing food consumption and avoiding food waste. Besides, results showed that intention to reduce household food waste is predictable by attitude, subjective norm and feelings of guilt constructs. At the end, implications of the study for changing consumers' food management behavior are discussed.

Social impacts evaluation and insider-outsider paradigm: Floodwater spreading project on the Gareh-Bygone plain as an illustrative case.

Selection of the appropriate social impact evaluation approach has become an important issue in agricultural and rural development projects in developing countries. The aim of this research was to use the lens of insider-outsider or mutual social impact assessment approach to assess the social impacts of floodwater spreading project (FWSP) on the Gareh-Bygone plain, Iran. A survey methodology with systematic sampling techniques was used to select 138 households as insider group in four villages' of the Gareh-Bygone plain which is covered by FWSP. Furthermore, key person interview was used to assess the viewpoints of experts (outsider group) who had close, ongoing involvement with the project. Result indicated that the experts' viewpoints were more positive towards social impacts of the project. Whereas, the project had some negative and positive social impacts from the local people point of view.