Comparative assessment of farmers’ perceptions on drought impacts: the case of a coastal lowland versus adjoining mountain foreland region of northern Iran

Agricultural activities are considered the most important source of income for ~ 23% of the population in Mazandaran Province, Iran. However, farming activities are overwhelmingly exposed to the detrimental impacts of drought in this region. The purpose of this paper is to establish differences in farmers’ perceptions on the effects of drought on social, economic, and environmental activities between coastal lowland and inland mountain foreland regions. Our research focuses on rural farming communities residing in the towns of Chalus (coastal plain adjacent to the Caspian Sea) and Kelardasht (Alborz mountain foreland). In 2019, questionnaires were distributed to villagers, and subsequently completed by household heads. Sample size was determined using Cochran, with 384 responses per sub-region. Results obtained by statistical analyses using SPSS indicate that farmers in the coastal region perceived stronger drought impacts on food security, agriculture, economy, education, immigration, and the natural environment than those in the adjoining mountainous region. The study demonstrates how location over relatively small distance, but different in topography, distance from the coast, climate, infrastructural development, and societal factors, has profound impact of people’s perceptions to, and experiences of, drought in northern Iran.