Analyzing the Role of Local Community Engagement in the Governance of Small-Scale Natural Systems (Local Governance, Sustainable Tourism, and the Regeneration of Rural Ecosystems)

Sargazi, Alireza; Karim, Mohammad Elyas; Karim, Mohammad Hossein

doi:10.22077/jgdms.2025.9070.1276

دانشگاه بیرجند

تعداد نشریات	22
تعداد شماره‌ها	360
تعداد مقالات	3,762
تعداد مشاهده مقاله	4,963,428
تعداد دریافت فایل اصل مقاله	3,331,404

	Analyzing the Role of Local Community Engagement in the Governance of Small-Scale Natural Systems (Local Governance, Sustainable Tourism, and the Regeneration of Rural Ecosystems)
مطالعات مدیریت توسعه سبز
مقاله 1، دوره 4، ویژه نامه، آبان 1404، صفحه 1-14 اصل مقاله (691.93 K)
نوع مقاله: مقاله پژوهشی
شناسه دیجیتال (DOI): 10.22077/jgdms.2025.9070.1276
نویسندگان
Alireza Sargazi^* ¹؛ Mohammad Elyas Karim²؛ Mohammad Hossein Karim³
¹Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Zabol, Zabol, Iran
²Graduate of Rural Development and Environment, Newcastle University, Newcastle, Australia
³Professor, Department of Energy Economics and Resources, Faculty of Economics, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
چکیده
Participation in the governance of decentralized, small-scale natural systems has been widely explored as an approach to sustainable development and environmental management, particularly in local contexts. Given the inherently local character of the Sistan region (Iran), one promising strategy to support environmental conservation and local culture—while simultaneously revitalizing and renewing villages, preventing migration and unemployment, and enhancing infrastructure, welfare, services, and healthcare—is the development of sustainable eco-villages. Although numerous scientific studies have examined the management of tourist villages and ecosystems in other countries, similar research adopting a participatory approach involving local communities remains scarce in Iran. This study aims to investigate the level of participation, attitudes, and decision-making preferences of local residents and a panel of local experts regarding the development of tourist villages in the Sistan region, with a focus on sustainability and environmental management. Accordingly, 289 surveys were conducted in 2024 among local stakeholders, indigenous residents, and non-indigenous tourists in the Sistan region. The findings indicate that villages with tourism potential and ecological compatibility are generally preferred by individuals aged between 35 and 55 years, who also tend to have higher levels of education and income. These individuals express a strong desire to be involved in decision-making and local urban governance. Self-sufficiency and economic prosperity, utilization of natural potentials, and enhancement of social sustainability—such as adopting sustainable lifestyles and experiencing authentic rural living—are identified as the most influential factors encouraging tourist participation in establishing sustainable eco-villages. Furthermore, factor analysis revealed that among the various dimensions of eco-village and environmental characteristics, the economic and natural aspects hold the greatest significance. Specifically, among the different factors examined, "self-sufficiency and economic prosperity" ranked the highest in importance.
کلیدواژه‌ها
Sustainability؛ Ecotourism؛ Participatory Governance؛ Exploratory Factor Analysis؛ Sistan Region

مراجع
Afrakhteh, H. (2023). Ecological economics and ecosystem conservation. Journal of Green Management Development, 1(1), 16–1. https://doi.org/10.22077/jgmd.2022.5599.1001 [In Persian] Azizpour, F., Momeni, H., Ghassami, A., & Mohammadi, H. (2024). Green tourism management with a focus on local community economic development in villages around Tang-e Vashi Gorge. Journal of Green Management Development, 3(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.22077/jgdms.2024.6988.1049 [In Persian] Barati, E. (2023). An analysis of ecological urbanism perspectives and theories. Journal of Green Management Development, 1(2), 73–90. https://doi.org/10.22077/jgmd.2023.5957.1013 [In Persian] Barati, J. (2023). Foundations of tourism economics and its applications. Mashhad: Jihad Daneshgahi Publishing. https://www.jdmpress.com/books/631 [In Persian] Barton, H. (2000). Sustainable communities: The potential for eco-neighborhoods. Earthscan. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315870649 Bates, A. (2003). Ecovillage roots (and branches): When, where and how we reinvented this ancient ecovillage concept. Ecovillage Network of the Americas. http://ena.ecovillage.org (Original work published 2003; accessed September 2020) Ferraro, P. J., & Hanauer, M. M. (2014). The market triumph of ecotourism: An economic investigation of the private and social benefits of competing land uses in the Peruvian Amazon. PLoS ONE, 9(9), e107144. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0107144 Fouladi, A., & Rahimi, A. (2025). Evaluation of urban agriculture indicators with a nature-based solutions approach to address urban challenges. Journal of Green Management Development, 4(1), 87–108. https://doi.org/10.22077/jgdms.2024.7500.1117 [In Persian] Haghighizadeh, F., Riyahi, V., Azizpour, F., & Ziaian Firoozabadi, P. (2018). Spatial analysis of sustainability in rural settlements around riverine ecosystems based on the ecovillage model: A case study of villages around the Kashkan River ecosystem (Poldokhtar County). Geography Quarterly (Iranian Geographical Society), 16(58), 1–23. https://mag.iga.ir/article_253445.html [In Persian] Hojjat Shamami, S., & Javan, F. (2023). Ecotourism and rural environmental sustainability in Rudbar County. Journal of Green Management Development, 1(2), 59–72. https://doi.org/10.22077/jgmd.2023.6082.1018 [In Persian] Howitt, J., & Mason, C. W. (2018). Ecotourism and sustainable rural development in Pérez Zeledón, Costa Rica. The Journal of Rural and Community Development, 13(1), 67–84. https://journals.brandonu.ca/jrcd/article/view/1478 Jamini, D., Dehqani, A., & Mohammadi, A. (2024). Rural tourism marketing and identification of key influencing factors through a sustainable development approach (Case study: Palangan village, Kamyaran County). Journal of Green Management Development, 3(2), 135–152. https://doi.org/10.22077/jgdms.2024.7429.1106 [In Persian] Kanaley, D. (2000). Ecovillages: A sustainable lifestyle (Report for Byron Shire Council, Australia). https://doi.org/10.1177/097340821100600120 Khairkhah, Z., & Nemati Mehr, M. (2021). The ecovillage model as an effective approach toward sustainable development of inner-city villages (Case study: Farahzad village, Tehran). Urban Design Discourse Journal, 2(3), 71–87. http://udd.modares.ac.ir/article-40-55605-fa.html [In Persian] Masafi, J., & Salehpour Jam, A. (2018). The necessity of watershed management planning and governance at the river basin scale in Iran. 3rd National Conference on Soil Conservation and Watershed Management with a Focus on Monitoring, Assessment, and Management of Resources in Watersheds, Tehran. https://scwmo.areeo.ac.ir/article_6843.html [In Persian] Mirkeiani Anari, H., Onabestani, A., & Va'ez Tabasi, A. (2023). Factors affecting rural entrepreneurship ecosystem in Kashmar County. Journal of Green Management Development, 1(2), 37–58. https://doi.org/10.22077/jgmd.2023.5994.1014 [In Persian] Nestoroska, I. (2012). Identifying tourism potentials in Republic of Macedonia through regional approach. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 44, 95–103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.05.009 Paydar, A., & Shahraki, S. (2025). Analyzing the impacts of solar energy projects on rural settlements; A case study of Hamun and Hirmand counties. Journal of Green Management Development, 4(1), 281–304. https://doi.org/10.22077/jgdms.2025.8415.1216 [In Persian] Roxas, F. M. Y., Rivera, J. P. R., & Gutierrez, E. L. (2020). Framework for creating sustainable tourism using systems thinking. Current Issues in Tourism, 23(3), 280–296. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2018.1534805 Sadeghi, H., & Kooravand, H. (2023). Analysis of green tourism indicators in Kohrang region. Journal of Green Management Development, 1(1), 33–46. https://doi.org/10.22077/jgmd.2022.5653.1004 [In Persian] Sadeghi, S., & Jediri Abbasi, M. (2016). Investigation of tourism industry infrastructure and existing potentials for tourism development in Tabriz. 2nd International Conference on Research in Engineering and Technology, 1, 1–12. https://civilica.com/doc/908285 [In Persian] Salehi, S., & Shatri, P. (2024). Measuring the level of participation of environmental NGOs with an environmental culture approach. Endowment and Charitable Affairs Studies, 2(1), 51–72. https://doi.org/10.22108/ecs.2023.139156.1070 [In Persian] Silva, L. F., Carballo-Cruz, F., & Ribeiro, J. C. (2024). Residents’ perceptions of tourism development in the context of a new governance framework for Portuguese protected areas: The case of a small peripheral natural park. Journal of Rural Studies, 112, 103451. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2024.103451 Val Soleyman, M., Mikaniki, J., & Nikshoar, M. (2023). Desert ecotourism and sustainable rural development in South Khorasan Province. Journal of Green Management Development, 1(1), 117–132. https://doi.org/10.22077/jgmd.2022.5653.1004 [In Persian] Vareiro, L., & Mendes, R. (2015). Residents' perspectives on tourism impacts of Portuguese World Heritage Sites: Angra do Heroísmo and Évora. Tourism & Management Studies, 11(1), 44–51. https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/3887/388743883005.pdf Yaqoubi, N., & Salehi, M. (2023). Investigating and explaining the implementation of renewable resource management policy toward sustainable development in the Sistan region. Journal of Green Management Development, 2(2), 124–151. https://doi.org/10.22077/jgdms.2024.7003.1050 [In Persian] Yavarian, M. (2023). The necessity of developing environmental villages (ecovillages) in contemporary urban planning. Biosepehr Quarterly, 15(1), 6–20. https://biosepehrsj.ut.ac.ir/article_88987.html?lang=fa [In Persian] Yazdanshenas, M., & Mosavi, S. H. (2025). Evaluating the impact of eco-lodges on sustainable tourism economy in Tiran City. Journal of Green Management Development, 4(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.22077/jgdms.2024.7365.1095 [In Persian]
آمار تعداد مشاهده مقاله: 310 تعداد دریافت فایل اصل مقاله: 165

نماد الکترونیک

سامانه مدیریت نشریات علمی. قدرت گرفته از سیناوب

پیوندهای مفید

آمار

Analyzing the Role of Local Community Engagement in the Governance of Small-Scale Natural Systems (Local Governance, Sustainable Tourism, and the Regeneration of Rural Ecosystems)