journal of sustainable rural development

journal of sustainable rural development

Economic Assessment of Environmental Risks of Orchard Lands in Arid Regions with a Sustainable Rural Development Approach, Case Study of Rural Areas of Sistan and Baluchestan in Southeastern Iran

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Mina Maleki 1
Ali Sardar Shahraki 2
Mahdi Safdari 3
1 MSc., Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran.
2 Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, University of Sistan and Baluches tan, Zahedan, Iran.
3 Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran.
10.22034/jsrd.2025.499032.1207
Abstract
Purpose: Horticultural products are essential for Sistan and Baluchestan provinces, but they have been severely affected by drought in recent years. Farming is an activity replete with risks. In this activity, a combination of natural, social, economic, and human-induced hazards exposes farm producers to fragile and vulnerable conditions, which ultimately cause income instability. Sistan and Baluchestan province in Iran is a fertile agricultural region for horticultural production, but its climatic conditions and hazards have increased the risks associated with agricultural production risks and impaired its economic sustainability.
Methods: This research analyzes the factors influencing natural hazards in the orchards of Sistan and Baluchestan province with an emphasis on sustainable rural development. Orchard farmers were selected from the northern part of the province, including Khash County, Saravan County, and Chabahar. The fuzzy technique for order of preference by similarity to the ideal solution (FTOPSIS) was used for modeling. Data were collected from 50 experts through a questionnaire.
Results: The findings indicated that the criteria of granting credits and loans, allocating budget and/or subsidies, and establishing family savings were of the highest importance. Furthermore, the final results of FTOPSIS revealed that the support-credit and economic alternatives were the top priorities with weights of 0.5764 and 0.5364, respectively.
Conclusion: Based on the results, it is recommended that relevant officials and agencies prioritize crop insurance as the best strategy for risk management. Additionally, regional crop insurance and compensating insurance claims when the actual regional yield is less than the guaranteed yield.
Keywords
Economic sustainability
Horticultural Production
Natural Hazards
Sistan and Baluchestan Province
Sustainable Rural Development
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journal of sustainable rural development
Volume 9, Issue 1 - Serial Number 15
Spring and Summer
Spring 2025
Pages 31-42