Introduction
The development of geographical spaces requires real understanding and intelligent planning. Solving rural challenges, especially their economic issues, are a strategic step in the development of the space economy. South Khorasan Province is a geographical area in the east of the country that has significant capacities and capabilities for development. For example, the center of production of strategic products of barberry, saffron and jujube are produced in many villages; There is a competitive advantage of camel breeding in many cities of the province; there is the capacity to produce unique handicrafts such as the weaving of expensive fabrics (made of camel wool) exported to countries around the Persian Gulf, in addition to carpets, rugs and carpets; the capacity of pastures around the villages to produce medicinal and commercial plant species partially exported; there are many ecotourism attractions, desert tourism, ecotourism, agricultural tourism, cultural and ritual tourism, and food tourism in and around the villages. Also, in the villages of the province, there are various traditional cooperative systems (such as Traditional agricultural production (Tirkar) and modern (such as agricultural joint-stock companies, agricultural production cooperatives, rural development groups, and microcredit funds). Nevertheless, the low growth and backwardness in development compared to other provinces of the country is still a stigma. Therefore, in this study, after exploring the barriers to economic growth and development, a model of the impact pattern of these challenges in rural areas of South Khorasan was suggested.
Methodology
This research is an applied study and descriptive-analytical in terms of method. Data were collected through documentary research and informant and experts' (local and regional) opinions. Identifying and determining the weight of barriers to the growth of the space economy has been done by combining the brainstorming method and AHP hierarchical analysis. DEMATEL method was utilized to identify the pattern of relationships between dimensions (identified categories). Primary data were extracted from interviews with members of the Employment and Economic Development Council in the cities and provinces of South Khorasan.
Discussion and conclusion
The Findings showed that 103 factors as obstacles to the growth of the space economy, especially in rural areas of South Khorasan Province. These barriers are divided into seven groups: "technical", "human and social", "institutional", "financial and commercial", "natural environment", "infrastructure" and "geographical (spatial)".
- In the technical aspect, there are 27 key challenges facing the development of the space economy in the villages of South Khorasan, which, according to the informants, "lack of specialized and semi-skilled manpower to work in the rural economy sectors" is the main challenge;
- The human-social dimension of known obstacles has 18 factors. Among these obstacles, the most important one is "the small entry of investors into the production sector and the low desire to develop production due to the fear of the sales market";
- The most important institutional obstacles include "a large number of decision-making organizations and institutions for rural economy management" and "long and complicated administrative bureaucracy";
- In financial and commercial obstacles, the most important element is "increasing the price of productive inputs of village economic activities";
- The barriers of the natural environment dimension are ranked fifth. The most important obstacle from the natural environment is known as "unsuitable climatic conditions and continuous droughts";
- In South Khorasan province, among the most important "infrastructural" obstacles are, respectively, "lack of places to supply products in the village environment", "limited access to ICT and Internet", and "lack of warehouse spaces for storing goods and products", "roads "Unfavorable access" and "extremely limited access to accommodation facilities and infrastructure" are mentioned;
- In the geographical (spatial) dimension, the obstacles include, order, "far from densely populated centers", "far from the availability of major and attractive markets", "high dispersion of villages on the city level", and "geographical isolation of areas and some villages", "proximity to the desert" and "adjacent to international borders".
In terms of the impact of variables, barriers to the geographical dimension have had the greatest impact. Also, in terms of the extent of influence of variables, the technical dimension is the most influential. In terms of the "interaction with other identified dimensions" index, studies have confirmed that the factors of the human-social dimension were at the highest level of interaction with other dimensions. In terms of the cause and effect of known dimensions, the output of DEMATELmethod showed that the dimensions of the natural, geographical and institutional environment are "causal" and human-social, infrastructure, technical, financial and commercial dimensions are "disabled".
In South Khorasan, the variety of challenges and obstacles to the growth and development of the rural economy is great, although the weight of the impact of challenging factors depends on the geographical location. In addition, the "thematic" and "spatial" extent of barriers to rural economic growth and development, which have a deteriorated effect on each other, has weakened the economic ability of villages.
Type of Study:
Research |
Subject:
Special Received: 2022/01/20 | Accepted: 2022/05/7