The Social Resilience of Rural Communities in the Western Region of Lake Zaribar in Response to Flooding (Marivan, Kurdistan)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Department of Physical Geography, Earth Sciences Faculty, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Objective: Natural disasters have historically impacted human life and are viewed as significant barriers to development. The idea of resilience refers to a community's ability to foresee, prepare for, react to, and bounce back from flood incidents, which is vital given the variable nature of climate-associated risks. This study seeks to explore the ability of rural communities in the Khavomirabad district of Marivan, in the Kurdistan Province of Iran, to withstand floods, utilizing both quantitative and field research methods.
Method: To address flood mitigation, nine indicators were employed (social factors, participation and organization, individual empowerment, knowledge and skills, support, financial and economic factors, security, education and awareness, and infrastructure and transportation), while three indicators (social and cultural, economic, and infrastructure) were utilized to assess resilience. To analyze the data, the initial step involved assessing the condition of the villages concerning each variable through the T-test statistic, focusing on suitable conditions for mitigating flood risk and enhancing flood resilience. Subsequently, Pearson correlation was employed to investigate the relationship among the indicators linked to flood reduction. Then, to identify the influential and significant factors in the relationship between these variables and flood resilience, as well as to evaluate the contribution of each variable in lessening the harmful impacts of floods from the perspective of the villagers, the regression method was applied.
Results: The correlation analysis results indicated a significant relationship between the region's resilience and factors such as knowledge and skills, finance, and economy, security and infrastructure. Among the evaluated indicators, the economic index reflected the lowest correlation (0.69), whereas the social and cultural index exhibited the highest correlation (0.815). The outcomes of the multivariate regression analysis indicated a notable correlation between the indicators and flood resilience. The multiple correlation coefficient calculated for the indicators and flood resilience was 0.991, while the adjusted R-squared value was found to be 0.981. Given the computed F values alongside a significance level below 0.05, it can be concluded that the combined set of indicators that influence resilience is substantially capable of explaining and predicting the factors involved in mitigating flood risks in the area examined.
Conclusions: The results indicate that although social factors like recognition of civil rights and community support are quite robust, aspects such as education and infrastructure require enhancement to effectively bolster resilience. Given the susceptibility of rural regions to flooding and the community's limited economic capacity, addressing poverty and enhancing economic prospects in these areas are highlighted as essential within broader flood resilience strategies. In general, this study demonstrated that multiple resilience indicators, such as community engagement, financial assistance, and the improvement of infrastructure, can be combined and utilized together to mitigate flood consequences and enhance community resilience against the adverse effects of flooding.

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References

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Journal of Environmental Studies
Volume 51, Issue 2
September 2025
Pages 211-230

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