Journal of Research and Rural Planning -پژوهش و برنامه ریزی روستایی

Purpose- Protected areas (PA) are effectively managed places dedicated to the long-term conservation of biodiversity and natural values ​​with associated ecosystem services and cultural values. Forest and rengland ecosystems of national park provide a wide range of environmental, economic, and social services to human communities, with a variety of stakeholders. One of the beneficiaries of forest ecosystem services is the rural communities on the edge of forests. The proper and appropriate use of natural resources plays an important role in empowering local communities and affects their socio-economic status. Design/methodology/approach- In this research, forest and rangeland ecosystem of the Kiasar National Park (KNP) was selected in Iran for assessing the social and economic natural ecosystems services to rural communities. For achieving the research goal, the Delphi questionnaire inclouding a set of indicators for natural ecosystems assessing extracted from various sources is used to identify the indicators of economic, and social services, Entropy and TOPSIS techniques to calculate their weight and prioritize, respectively. Also, GIS has been used to map the economic and social services of the natural ecosystems of KNP. In this study, 36 specialists in the field of national parks answered the Delphi questionnaire. Findings- In this research exteracted 38 indicators including 20 social indicators and 18 economic indicators that among them, 7 economic indicators and 11 social indicators accepted and customized to assess the social and economical services of natural ecosystems. Then preparation capability map (Potential map) in four classes based on their weight and priority overplayed. The results indicated that recreational value, and interests and contributions from to rural communities protect and develop the park indicators had the highest priority in assessing the economic and social services of natural ecosystems. The KNP capability map showed that 1810.50 and 34.30 ha of the park is located in the very suitable class from an economic and social perspectives for utilization rural communities of services natural ecosystems park respectively. 

Purpose- Agritourism provides a sustainable substitute that supports international initiatives to address environmental issues and the increasing depletion of natural resources. The aim of this research is to investigate the role of agricultural tourism in sustainable rural development. Design/methodology/approach - The present study is a mixed research (qualitative-quantitative) type that was designed in two stages. In the first stage, In order to identify and extract the factors affecting the role of agricultural tourism in sustainable rural development, 18 semi-structured interviews were conducted with experts in this field using purposive sampling method and considering the theoretical saturation index of data. Second stage: In the second stage, in order to ensure the accuracy of the first stage process and observe changes, exploratory factor analysis was performed without any initial division for the factors extracted from the first stage. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were used in data analysis. The statistical population of the study at this stage was villages with agricultural tourism potential in the four cities of Tonekabon, Nowshahr, Sari, and Babol, which were selected based on a stratified random sampling method with proportional assignment, with a total of 320 people. Findings - The results of the second-order confirmatory factor analysis also showed that among the second-order factor loadings, the economic and infrastructure structure (0.94) has the greatest impact, followed by the political and institutional structure (0.87), the social and educational structure (0.76), and the human and climatic structure (0.69) respectively, which have the least impact on the main structure (the role of agricultural tourism in sustainable rural development). Practical Implications - Since Mazandaran province has high tourism potential, the results of this study can help policymakers to formulate an appropriate program in the field of agritourism in line with the sustainability of rural communities. Originality/Value - This study works towards sustainable development by providing a complete strategy for the development of agricultural tourism, and this study has attempted to fill the gaps and gaps in previous studies.

Purpose- Protected Area Tourism, despite its economic potential, can pose threats to natural resources and disrupt the balance of rural regions if not properly managed. This study aims to propose strategies for achieving sustainable rural development through tourism while simultaneously conserving environmental values in the Khartouran protected area. The village of Qaleh Bala in Shahrud was selected as the case study. Design/methodology/approach- This research employed a qualitative approach using thematic analysis based on nine semi-structured interviews with tourism stakeholders. Participants were selected through purposive sampling until theoretical saturation was reached. Data analysis followed Braun and Clarke’s six-phase framework, and the process was conducted using MAXQDA software. Findings- The results reveal that the impacts of tourism on rural development fall into three dimensions: economic, sociocultural, and environmental. Economically, tourism has contributed to diversifying the local economy, creating jobs, and increasing income. However, it has also raised the cost of living, generated unstable employment, and intensified the village’s economic dependency on nearby cities. In the sociocultural dimension, interactions between tourists and residents have revived handicrafts, strengthened local identity, and enhanced social interactions. Yet, they have also led to cultural clashes, lifestyle changes, and the weakening of traditional values. Environmentally, tourism has raised ecological awareness and reduced pressure on natural resources by decreasing reliance on agriculture and livestock. Nevertheless, the high volume of tourists has increased stress on water and soil resources, resulting in ecosystem degradation. For sustainable management of tourism in protected areas, effective strategies include developing comprehensive plans, educating local communities and tourists, enforcing strict environmental regulations, improving sustainable infrastructure, promoting ecotourism, diversifying rural livelihoods, and ensuring continuous monitoring of tourism activities. Originality / Value- By adopting a qualitative approach and focusing on one of Iran’s most ecologically sensitive regions, this study provides an in-depth, multidimensional analysis of tourism impacts in protected areas. Its innovation lies in simultaneously identifying both the positive and negative effects of tourism across economic, sociocultural, and environmental dimensions and in offering realistic, context-specific management strategies to foster sustainable rural development within the framework of environmental conservation.

Purpose- In today's world, where the trend of tourism has changed from mass to individualistic patterns and tourists give more priority to flexibility and meaningful experiences, creative tourism is a new and interesting aspect in the field of tourism, where more attention is paid to tangible heritage to intangible heritage. From the point of view of the villagers, creative tourism means that the residents are passionate and proud of the cultural, natural, and physical environment of the village, evaluate the effects of tourism positively, and accept participation in tourism development programs, to finally be a suitable host in the relationship. To achieve this kind of tourism, various factors are effective in realizing this. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of behavioral and environmental factors in villagers' hospitability in tourism target villages of Kermanshah province with the structural equation analysis approach. Design/methodology/approach- Questionnaires were randomly distributed among residents. The statistical population of the research is 14 tourism target villages of Kermanshah province, which according to the census of 2016 (According to the latest population and housing census in Iran) has a population equal to 10039 people, and the size of the studied sample was estimated to be 380 people based on the Cochran formula. Also, an average of 10 domestic and foreign tourists from each village filled out questionnaires, resulting in a total of 140 questionnaires. Finding- The results showed that the effect of the behavioral factor on hosting was greater. In the sense that the perception, attitude, and participation of villagers will be good predictors for the realization of creative hosting. Also, the results showed that the highest average acceptance of host was in the villages Considering the geographical and environmental conditions and tourism of Shamshir, Harir and Hajij, which had the best condition.

Purpose - The development of wind energy in rural areas of Iran is a promising solution to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors influencing farmers’ willingness and intention to participate in the development and advancement of wind energy. By reviewing the literature and employing an intuitively developed method, the hypothesized influential statements were identified. Design/methodology/approach- The research sample consisted of 189 participants selected through random sampling. The internal validity of questionnaire indicators was assessed by checking Cronbach's alpha coefficient and loading scores through Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The Cronbach's alpha coefficient fell within an acceptable range. Finding- The results of the study revealed that externality directly and significantly affects perceived sensitivity ( β = 0.40, p = 0.001). In addition, negative externalities have a significant positive effect on perceived severity, with a path coefficient of 0.41 ( β = 0.41, p = 0.001). The attitude towards the electricity distribution company also has a direct and significant effect on the willingness to participate in the development of wind energy ( β = 0.35, p < 0.001). The functional rationale (β = 0.17, p < 0.05) and the urgency rationale ( β = 0.34, p = 0.001) positively and significantly influence the willingness to engage in wind energy development projects. Willingness to participate in development plans has a positive and significant effect on behavioral intention ( β = 0.66, p = 0.001). The squared multiple correlations for sensitivity, perceived severity, desire to participate in wind energy development projects, and behavioral intention to participate are 0.16, 0.17, 0.33, and 0.22, respectively (R 2 Sensit = 0.16, R 2 Sever = 0.17, R 2 Desire = 0.33, R 2 Intent = 0.22). The results of this survey, in general, indicate that it has an impact on farmers' willingness to promote and develop wind energy. Using the transtheoretical model, it was revealed that the majority of farmers are in the stages of "increasing awareness" and "dramatic relief," while experts are in the stages of "self-reevaluation" and "self-liberation."

Purpose - Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) play a significant role in the process of sustainable development and the social vitality of communities. These organizations focus on strengthening the economic and social capacities of marginalized groups, addressing general public issues, and sometimes tackling the challenges of specific social strata. In the age of globalization, sustainable development of a society depends on resolving its environmental, economic, and social problems. Design/methodology/approach- This study adopts a descriptive-analytical approach and was conducted in the villages and among the households of Zahak County, located in Sistan and Baluchestan Province. Using Cochran's formula and questionnaires, 21 villages were selected as the sample, comprising 358 households. In order to obstacles to the growth and expansion of non-governmental organizations in the rural areas of Zahk county. To further assess the relationship between NGOs and sustainable development,  Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)  was employed. Additionally, the  Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP)  was applied to identify the most influential factors contributing to the effectiveness of NGOs. Finally, the  Fuzzy TOPSIS method  was used to prioritize the villages based on the role of NGOs in sustainable development. Findings-  The results of the research indicate that the impact of NGOs on rural development dimensions has been generally unfavorable, with only the socio-cultural dimension showing a significant effect (Beta coefficient: 0.311), while other dimensions demonstrated negligible influence. Practical Implications - According to the research findings, investing in and implementing socio-cultural programs can help expand NGOs and improve the current condition of villages in Zahak County towards sustainable development. Originality/Value - Although previous research has been conducted in various regions of Iran, the distinct characteristics of Zahak County -where this study is focused- limit the applicability of earlier findings. Consequently, new research is necessary to address the specific conditions of this area. Zahak County faces unique challenges, particularly due to the cessation of water flow from the Helmand River by the Afghan government. This disruption has significantly impacted local livelihoods and altered environmental conditions, creating circumstances that warrant dedicated investigation.