Geographical planning of space quarterly journal

Geographical planning of space quarterly journal

Environmental Assets Restoration on Sustainable Rural Livelihoods: Experiences from the RFLDL International Project in Sarayan County

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Department of Geography, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran
Abstract
The rural communities of Sarayan County face severe environmental degradation, including a critical decline in the Sarayan Plain aquifer, intensified wind erosion, and escalating soil salinization and alkalization. These challenges have profoundly undermined agricultural productivity and the overall quality of life for residents. In response, the international Rangeland and Forest Landscape Development (RFLDL) project was implemented, with a core objective of restoring and enhancing environmental capital through participatory methodologies. This study investigates the impact of these environmental restoration efforts on the livelihood assets of rural households within the project’s intervention area in Sarayan County. A survey of 321 households across four selected villages revealed that the RFLDL project’s interventions have generated a statistically significant positive effect on the sustainability of rural livelihoods. Notably, the village of Saghaleh demonstrated the most pronounced improvement across key livelihood sustainability indicators following project implementation. The findings underscore that the effectiveness and long-term viability of such initiatives hinge critically on an integrated, community-driven approach. A key mechanism driving this positive impact was the establishment of village-level micro-credit funds. These institutions provided the essential financial infrastructure to mobilize local resources, thereby enabling land rehabilitation, diversifying and strengthening household livelihoods, mitigating out-migration, promoting environmentally sustainable economic activities, and supporting broader rural development and infrastructure initiatives
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