Assessing the perception of rural communities toward climate Change(Case study: Rural areas of Kuhdasht, West of Iran)

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the perception of the rural communities of Kuhdasht towards climate change and provide solutions to adapt to climate change.Methods: The statistical population was selected from two groups of villagers and experts. Therefore, 173 villages with 376 households and 26 experts were selected as samples. Ten indicators evaluated residents’ views towards climate change, and four components, including 20 indicators, provided solutions. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used for weighting and prioritizing solutions.Results: The results showed that snowing days and drought reduction are the main events from the villagers’ point of view, and dust and the increase in sunny hours happened the least. There is a significant relationship between the climatic realities of the region and the residents’ perception, age, and education level. The most important consequence of climate change from the point of view of rural communities is drought. The results suggest that economic solutions will affect climate change conditions in the area.Conclusion: This study indicated a significant relationship between the area’s climatic realities and the residents’ perceptions. Furthermore, people in the studied area are well prepared to implement climate-related policies effectively.