Understanding Farmers’ Intention towards the Management and Conservation of Wetlands

• Published in: Land (Basel) Vol. 10; no. 8; p. 860
• Main Authors: Valizadeh, Naser, Esfandiyari Bayat, Samira, Bijani, Masoud, Hayati, Dariush, Viira, Ants-Hannes, Tanaskovik, Vjekoslav, Kurban, Alishir, Azadi, Hossein
• Format: Journal Article Web Resource
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01-08-2021
• Subjects: Agriculture; Agriculture & agronomie; Agriculture & agronomy; Animal migration; Biodiversity; Climate change; Community; Community involvement; Community participation; Conservation; Cultural heritage; Ecology; Ecosystems; Farmers; Global and Planetary Change; Indicators; Life sciences; Local communities; Moral norms; Multivariate statistical analysis; Nature and Landscape Conservation; Nature conservation; Norms; Participation; Population growth; Random sampling; Raw materials; Rehabilitation; Reptiles & amphibians; Sciences du vivant; Self-identity; Statistical sampling; Sustainability; Sustainable development; Theory of planned behavior; Tourism; Water shortages; Wetland management; Wetlands; Wetlands ecosystems; Iran
• ISSN: 2073-445X; 2073-445X
• DOI: 10.3390/land10080860

The aim of the present research was to analyze the farmers’ intention towards participation in the management and conservation of wetlands through the lens of the extended theory of planned behavior (TPB). To do this, a cross-sectional survey of Iranian farmers was carried out. To select the samples, a multi-stage random sampling process with a proportional assignment was employed. The research instrument was a researcher-made questionnaire whose validity and reliability were verified using various quantitative and qualitative indicators. The results of the extended TPB using structural equation modeling showed that four variables, namely moral norms of participation in management and conservation (MNPMC), attitude towards participation in management and conservation (APMC), subjective norms towards participation in management and conservation (SNPMC), and self-concept about participation in management and conservation (SCPMC) had positive and significant impacts on intention towards participation in management and conservation (IPMC). The results also revealed that that entering MNPMC and SCPMC into TPB could increase its explanatory power. Also, the fit indicators supported the extended TPB. From a practical point of view, the present study provides justifications and insights for the use of MNPMC, APMC, SNPMC, and SCPMC in policies and programs intended to encourage farmers and local communities to participate in wetlands management and conservation.