نوع مقاله : علمی-پژوهشی
عنوان مقاله English
نویسندگان English
Water Users' Associations, rooted in participatory governance, play a critical role in ensuring the equitable, efficient, and sustainable management of water resources. This applied, descriptive-analytical study explores the factors influencing the sustainability of water users' cooperatives in Qazvin County through semi-structured interviews with 14 purposively selected experts, including agricultural specialists, university faculty, and cooperative practitioners. The findings reveal key causal relationships and prioritize sustainability drivers, with educational factors emerging as the most influential in both fuzzy DEMATEL and hierarchical analyses. Education is shown to be foundational in empowering members, fostering participation, and enhancing cooperative performance. Educational, policy-making, and support-related dimensions exert the strongest impact on sustainability, while managerial, socio-cultural, and legal aspects serve as complementary pillars. Causal analysis confirms that education, policy, and support are primary drivers that shape and reinforce other components. Based on these insights, the study recommends that policymakers in the water and agricultural sectors prioritize targeted training initiatives, bolster institutional support structures, and critically evaluate interventionist policies. Striking a balance between cooperative autonomy and governmental support, strengthening local management capacities, and cultivating social capital through active member engagement are strategic imperatives for ensuring the long-term viability and effectiveness of water users' cooperatives in semi-arid regions.
کلیدواژهها English