The role of pastoralists’ livelihood diversification strategy in reducing dependence on summer rangelands in the Eastern Mazandaran Province, Iran

Pastoralists in eastern Mazandaran Province, Iran are seeking a transition from pure pastoralism to a Livelihood Diversification Strategy (LDS) to ensure the sustainability of their livelihoods. Knowledge of LDS can help pastoralists to obtain a sustainable livelihood. The objective of this study was to determine the role of LDS adopted by pastoralists in reducing their dependence on summer rangelands of Hezarjarib district, Behshahr, Iran. It was an applied study that was conducted using a descriptive-analytical research method through semi-structured interview and cluster sampling methods using a questionnaire tool (85 items). The content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by the experienced professors. Cronbach’s alpha (0.87) was used to calculate the internal consistency of the research tool. Different types of district pastoralists’ livelihood strategies were evaluated from 2020 to 2021. Regression Function Estimation (RFE) and the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) method were used to analyze the revenues earned from the livelihood strategies of the rangelands. Moreover, the Lagrange Multiplier Test statistic was used to assess the heterogeneity of variance, and the chi-square distribution test (δ2). Results showed that the pastoralists had adopted 10 monoand multi-livelihood strategies. Pastoralism and medicinal plant harvesting had the largest (2.01%) and the smallest shares of stakeholders’ net income (0.14%), respectively. Multi-livelihood income crop cultivation + pastoralism + medicinal plant harvesting had the highest share of income with an average profit of 297 million IRR/household (900 $/household). OLS regression showed all of the explanatory variables of the model except the share of annual total net income were significant (p ≤ 0.05 and 0.01). The set of independent variables used in the regression explained 65% of the total income variation. The pastoralists’ multi-livelihood diversification activities, age and education had a negative effect on the total income. The results showed that more revenues earned from multi-livelihood jobs will decrease or increase the total household income depending on the decreased or increased rangelands. So, an increase in multi-livelihood household income will increase employment opportunities that may reduce the reliance on rangeland resources. Therefore, it should be attempted to take into consideration that the lack of diversity in pastoralists’ income-generating activities can make them more vulnerable than other pastoralists who enjoy multiple livelihoods.