Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Fatemeh Salari
• Ali Hamidian
• Maedeh Nasri

Abstract

The importance of Zagros forests and interdependence of local communities to forest resources have led to complexity of its management. The role of local communities and investigating their relations toward implementation of natural resources co-management are undeniable. Social Network Analysis (SNA) approach is a new method which illustrates relations among local beneficiaries and has important role for planning, policy making and successful implementation of natural resources co-management. In this research, relations between local stakeholders in Gor-Gu region of Boyer Ahmad district have investigated using SNA through macro level indicators (density, centrality, periphery, transitivity, geodesic mean distance) toward forest co-management. The results revealed that social cohesion and capital based on trust and collaboration links are medium to high. Stability and equilibrium of stakeholders’ network are medium and correlation between trust and collaboration is high (79%). The results demonstrated that trust and collaboration transfer speed is medium to high and has led to approximately high resilience and adaptation capacity among the actors in the context of environmental changes. According to geodesic mean distance index it is concluded that solidarity and unity among the actors are medium to high. This is illustrated that trust improvement will resulted in more adherence to local laws and traditions in the case of natural resources utilization.

Keywords

• ''Social Network Analysis''
• ''Co-management''
• ''social capital''
• ''resilience''
• ''Gor-Gu region''