Identifying Factors affecting Optimal Management of Agricultural Water

The main purpose of this study was to explore the factors affecting optimal management of agricultural water in Hamadanʹs area. The statistical population of the study included all Hamadanʹs farmers. A number of 148 farmers were selected randomly through a proportional sampling method in two phases. Both questionnaire and interview techniques were used in order to collect data. The empirical and face validity of the questionnaire was verified by a panel of experts consisting of faculty members and natural resources specialists. The questionnaires’ reliability was tested by Cronbach’s Alpha technique and it was 91% (?= 0.91). In addition to quantitative methodology such as descriptive statistics and factor analysis a qualitative methodology was employed for dynamic simulation among variables through Vensim software. In this study, factor analysis technique was used through the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) and Bartlett tests. From the results, four key elements were identified as factors affecting the optimal management of agricultural water in Hamedan area. These factors were institutional and legal factors, technical and knowledge factors, economic factors and social factors.