Purpose- The main purpose of this study was to identify the drivers responsible for instability of livelihood and to investigate the extent and manner of their influences on each other and on the future livelihood status of villagers in Marivan County. Design/methodology/approach - Applying a descriptive-analytical method and Delphi Technique, the present applied research identifies first, the most important drivers of the current situation of livelihood instability and their eliminating impact on the future livelihood of the deprived villagers in Marivan County. Moreover, applying cross-impact method in Mick Mac software, it analyzes the effect and direct influence of these drivers on each other. Findings- The most important drivers of livelihood instability of rural people in the county are a total of 36 drivers in five categories as follows: Economic failures with the influence (346) and dependence (371), social failures with the influence (290) and dependence (315), environmental-physical failures with the influence (172) and dependence (176), institutional-managerial failures with the influence (351) and dependence (287) and trans-regional failures with the influence (23) and dependence (12). Among them the institutional-managerial failures have the most direct influence (315) and the economic failures have the most direct dependence (371) on the other drivers. The regulatory and two-dimensional drivers and their situation on the graph shows the continuing instability of the villagers’ livelihood in future, thus, this will increase deserted villages and wasted water and soil resources in the region. Research Limitations/Implications- The dispersion of a large number of villages, their small sizes in addition to their lack of accessibility, and the lack of cooperation of some experts to conduct interviews were among the main limitations of the present study. Practical implications - It is suggested to teach villagers about the basic principles of entrepreneurship and taking risks and identifying opportunities. In this regard, making use of entrepreneurial villagers with successful experiences and non-governmental organizations in the region can be effective. Ultimately, plans and programs should be designed and implemented for the regulatory drivers such as fatalism, lack of crisis management policies, recognizing rural development as equal to the traditional agriculture development. Originality/Value- The outcome of this study can be an introduction for subsequent studies for formulating scenarios, executive strategies, policies and planning in order to move towards sustainable livelihoods and the realization of a favorable livelihood for the villagers.
