The Influence Factors of Farmers' Adaptive Behavior in Kermanshah Province Under Water Scarcity Conditions: The Role of Risk Perception and Self-efficacy in the Theory of Planned Behavior

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

• Yousof Azadi ¹
• Jafar Yaghoubi ²
• Heydar Gholizadeh ³
• Saeed Gholamrezai ⁴
• Fatemeh Rahimi-Feyzabad ⁵

¹ PhD graguate in Agricultural Development, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran

² Professor in Agricultural Extension and Education, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran

³ Associate in Agricultural Economics, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran

⁴ Associate in Agricultural Extension and Education, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran

⁵ Assistant in Agricultural Extension, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran

10.22067/geoeh.2023.81661.1347

Abstract

Water scarcity is one of the risks of the agricultural sector, especially in arid and semi-arid regions, and it is predicted that its situation will worsen in the future. To minimize the consequences and effects of water scarcity on the agricultural sector, water-scarce countries such as Iran must adopt effective adaptation strategies to manage water resources to reduce risk. This requires investigating the influencing factors on the behavior and adaptation intention of actors in the agricultural sector. Therefore, the present research was conducted to identify factors influencing the behavior of water scarcity adaptation among farmers in Kermanshah province by using the extended theory of planned behavior and adding two variables of risk perception and self-efficacy to the theory. The statistical population of this research was 32,753 irrigated wheat farmers of Kermanshah province, and a sample of 380 of them were selected for the research using the multi-stage cluster sampling method with the proportional assignment and based on the Krejcie and Morgan table. Data collection in this research was done through a researcher-made questionnaire. To check the validity of the research tool, face, and construct validity were used. Also, the reliability of the research tool was confirmed by calculating Cronbach's alpha coefficient (0.848-0.895) and composite reliability for the research variables. The results showed that the three main constructs of the theory of planned behavior including attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control had a positive and significant effect on intention. The perceived behavioral control affected adaptive behavior. Also, in the theory of planned behavior, 56% of the variance of intention and 53% of the variance of adaptation behavior were explained, and by adding the risk perception and self-efficacy to the theory, the explanation percentage of behavioral intention and adaptive behavior increased to 58 and 62%, respectively.

Keywords

• Water scarcity
• Adaptive behavior
• Theory of planned behavior
• Risk perception
• Self-efficacy
• Adaptation strategies

Main Subjects

• Rural environments hazard

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