The Interactive Effect of Psychological Resilience and Temporal Perception of Drought on Farmers' Water-Saving Behavior in the Face of Compound Climate Shocks

Abstract Compound climate shocks, particularly drought–extreme heat, pose a serious threat to water and food security in arid and semi-arid regions worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the interactive effect of psychological resilience and temporal perception of drought on the water-saving behavior of irrigated farmers in Kermanshah Province, western Iran, in the face of compound climate shocks. The research was applied in purpose and descriptive–correlational in method, using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The statistical population consisted of irrigated farmers in Kermanshah Province, from which 384 farmers were selected through stratified random sampling with proportional allocation. Data were collected using a 73 -item questionnaire and analyzed with SPSS 27 and SmartPLS 4. The findings showed that the experience of compound climate shocks had a positive and significant effect on psychological resilience (β = 0.386) and temporal perception of drought (β = 0.312). Psychological resilience (β = 0.352) and future-oriented temporal perception (β = 0.284) had positive and significant effects on water-saving behavior, while present-oriented (β = -0.156) and past-oriented (β = -0.132) temporal perception had negative and significant effects on it (β = -0.198). The interactive effect of psychological resilience × temporal perception of drought (β = 0.089, p = 0.156) and the moderating effect of compound climate shocks on the relationship between psychological resilience and water-saving behavior (β = -0.067, p = 0.238) were rejected. The research model explained 47% of the variance in water-saving behavior. Based on the results, promoting water-saving behavior requires a multidimensional approach that simultaneously considers psychological, temporal, and contextual dimensions. The findings indicate that in arid and semi-arid regions worldwide, policymakers can enhance water-saving behavior by simultaneously strengthening psychological resilience and future-oriented temporal perception, and by designing educational and supportive interventions in parallel.