The lived-experience of land-use among Northern Iranian farmers in land risk areas: A phenomenology study

Exploring the lived-experiences of community farmers will contribute to the perspective of land issues and help formulate and plan sustainable land management. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the lived-experiences of farmers regarding land-use and management in northern Iran, which is facing land degradation and land grabbing problems. For this purpose, a phenomenological approach was undertaken to show how the past and present process of land-use and management practices is made. In this research, key farmers who had land utilization experiences, feeling the land laws, land changes and land issues in the past in land risk areas were selected using key informants sampling. The gathered data of interviews were analyzed according to Colaizzi method. Fifty-five important statements and 11 themes were extracted from participants’ experiences (PE) in three periods: pre-land reform period and on the threshold of it in Iran, post-land reform until Islamic revolution and after the revolution till now. The lived-experience of participants showed that pre-land reform period in Iran was known for its hierarchical structure to "owner-peasant" contexts of the land-use and management in the study area. The importance of forest and river as the origin of arable land and physical-spatial structure of rural settlements is undeniable. Post-land reform PE indicated that the land reform enforcement was a factor of change in the land-use and management practices that led to ownership problems. Participants’ experiences regarding land changes after the Islamic revolution till now expressed that despite the new inhibitor rules regarding land management practices, farmers are likely to bring about land-use changes. Recommendations and implications for land management policy are offered to reduce the land degradation and land grabbing.