Objective: The resilience of rural settlements against climate change refers to the ability of rural communities to anticipate, adapt to, and recover from the impacts of extreme climatic fluctuations. Climate change phenomena, such as droughts, floods, water scarcity, and rising temperatures, not only threaten the livelihoods and economic structures of rural residents but also affect social networks, patterns of natural resource use, and the environmental sustainability of villages, potentially leaving long-term, widespread effects on residents' quality of life. Therefore, studying resilience as an innovative approach in rural development planning plays a key role in reducing vulnerability and enhancing sustainability.
Method: The present study aimed to assess the resilience of rural settlements to climate change in Pirsohrab Rural District and identify the factors influencing it. The research employed a descriptive-analytical method, and the statistical population included all residents of the district's villages, totaling 26,525 individuals. According to the Krejcie and Morgan table and using a simple random sampling method, 378 individuals were selected as the sample. Data collection was conducted through a standardized questionnaire that measured various dimensions, including economic, social, environmental, institutional, and managerial factors, as well as the local community's level of climate awareness. The instrument's validity and reliability were confirmed through a pilot test, expert judgment, and Cronbach's alpha. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software and the Pearson correlation test.
Results: All examined dimensions—economic (0.157), social (0.168), environmental (0.264), institutional-managerial (0.176), and climate awareness (0.247)—showed a positive and significant relationship with rural settlement resilience. In other words, improving household economic capacity, strengthening social capital and intra-community cohesion, enhancing environmental conditions, increasing the efficiency of institutions and local councils, and developing climate knowledge and awareness among residents can significantly enhance the resilience of these settlements.
Conclusions: Consequently, this study emphasizes that attention to economic, social, and institutional components, alongside education and sustainable natural resource management, not only increases the adaptive capacity of rural communities against climate change but can also pave the way for sustainable development, local infrastructure resilience, and long-term improvement of residents' quality of life. |
