The Impact of Individual-Social Factors on the Management and Governance of Groundwater Resources in Hamedan-Bahar Plain

Management of groundwater resources is a necessary condition to achieve governance of water resources. Although governance principles have been developed in various fields, their availability for water resource governance has been neglected so far. Groundwater management is a challenge that is influenced by various personal, social, environmental, etc. dimensions. Therefore, in this study, the individual and social aspects of the management and governance of groundwater resources in the Hamadan-Bahar plain have been investigated. For this purpose, the indicators of knowledge and awareness, attitude, social capital, and water resources management were used in the governance of water resources of the OECD organization. The statistical population of the research included 254 farmers of the Hamadan-Bahar plain. The method of data collection was done using the field method and questionnaire tool, and the data were analyzed using SPSS and Smart PLS.3 software. The result of the overall model fit based on the GOF criterion was 0.65, which shows the excellent and acceptable fit of the model. The results obtained from the t-test statistic and path coefficients (β) also showed that the constructs of social capital, knowledge and awareness, and attitude, through the mediation of water resource management, have the highest and strongest impact on the governance of groundwater resources in the Hamadan-Bahar plain, with values of 0.64, 0.16, and 0.12, respectively. Therefore, by paying attention to and strengthening the social capital of individuals and local communities through the promotion of social skills, organizational capabilities, participatory empowerment, and increasing community awareness about water issues and management methods, it is possible to achieve a suitable and effective governance cycle.