Awareness of villagers about the occurrence of signs of climate change and its relationship with sustainable livelihoods of local communities (Case study: Oghan Watershed in Golestan province)

Adverse climate change, drought, and floods have a negative impact on natural resources, crops, and livestock production as the main sources of livelihood for the villagers. Therefore, it is important to study the perception of rural communities about the occurrence of climate change and its relationship with a sustainable livelihood. The present study was conducted for this purpose by descriptive-survey research method. In this study, 297 residents Age 35 years and older in 10 villages of the Oghan watershed in Golestan province were surveyed. The data collection tool of the questionnaire was developed by the researcher; its content validity was confirmed using the opinions of university academics and natural resources experts. The results showed that age, number of livestock, history of animal husbandry, length of stay in the village, and income of individuals with their perception of the symptoms of climate change have a positive and significant relationship. Findings of structural equation model evaluation showed a causal relationship between the perception of the occurrence of climate change symptoms and individuals' livelihood changes so that with increasing awareness of villagers about the occurrence of climate change symptoms, their livelihood is facing more changes.