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Anbari M, Khaksari Renani M. (2025). Explaining the Sustainability Dilemma in Rural Communities of Iran (Case Study: Lavasan-e Bozorg Village, Lavasanat District). Social Problems of Iran. 16(4), 131-170. doi:10.61882/jspi.16.4.131
URL: http://jspi.khu.ac.ir/article-1-3928-en.html

Abstract
Sustainable development in Iran's rural areas faces significant challenges, including rural-to-urban migration and influx of new, non-productive residents; agricultural mismanagement and land-use change; environmental degradation resulting from development projects; and a shift in rural governance from participatory, endogenous models to that are state-centered and exogenous ones. This study elucidates the sustainability dilemma in Lavasan-e Bozorg village through a qualitative, field-based methodology, utilizing in-depth interviews, field observation, and documentary analysis. Data from 31 exploratory interviews with officials, informants, and locals (selected via purposive sampling) were coded and analyzed. Based on the findings and the frequency of recurring categories in the interviews, sustainability was prioritized and classified into six principal domains: “Demographic”; “Economic–livelihood”; “Managerial-Governance”; “Social”; “Environmental”; and “Cultural”. These domains exist in a dynamic, reciprocal relationship, alternately acting as both cause and effect. Within this system, the twin factors of "proximity to the capital" and "water security" are of paramount. While adjacency to Tehran presents developmental opportunities, it is offset by the capital's demand for potable water, environmental constraints, and rampant land speculation, collectively undermining the village's productive and livelihood base. The study concludes that the village is trapped in a state of "ambiguity and a vicious cycle of unsustainability". A resolution necessitates a paradigmatic shift toward locally grounded, participatory, and multidimensional development, emphasizing livelihood diversification, strengthening effective multi-level governance, and integrated natural resource management.

Extended Abstract
1. Introduction
Sustainable development in Iran's rural areas faces significant challenges, including rural-to-urban migration and influx of new, non-productive residents; agricultural mismanagement and land-use change; environmental degradation resulting from development projects; and a shift in rural governance from participatory, endogenous models to that are state-centered and exogenous ones. At present, the rural economy of the country is confronted with structural weaknesses in the formation of large-scale agricultural, industrial, and service enterprises, as well as an inability to effectively promote self-employment. Moreover, certain forms of reverse migration to rural areas have led to a reconfiguration of power resources in these regions - from land ownership toward land speculation and the accumulation of liquidity - along with a gradual transformation of the dominant function of villages from production - oriented spaces to consumption - oriented and leisure - based residential settlements. Consequently, many villages are increasingly used as environmentally and locationally advantageous settlements for temporary residence, recreation, or retirement. A clear manifestation of this phenomenon can be observed in the characteristics of the case study village of this research, Lavasan-e Bozorg. In this village, dissatisfaction expressed by both local authorities and residents regarding development-related changes and projects indicates that development and development plans have not necessarily produced beneficial or satisfactory outcomes for everyone; in some cases, they have even challenged social stability and the quality of life of the local population. Project-oriented and economy-centered approaches adopted by development agents and implementers have resulted in the sacrifice of the structural identity of villages in favor of projects and development schemes, to the extent that only the name of the settlement remains visible, while its residents, rituals, and self-sufficiency are obscured. Change and transformation are legitimate only when centered on people and local identity, as development lacking public participation and social support cannot be sustainable. In this context, the social dimension of sustainable development gains particular importance. Accordingly, the present study seeks to explore the factors contributing to population instability and other forms of social unsustainability in this village, with an emphasis on indicators of livelihood, environmental, interactive–participatory, and managerial sustainability. 
2. Methodology
This study aims to analyze social sustainability in rural areas through a qualitative and documentary approach, based on fieldwork and the conduct of more than 30 in-depth individual and group interviews with officials, informants, and locals. Participants were selected using purposive sampling while ensuring proportional representation of occupations and social positions. The main axes of the interviews and data collection focused on rural development and the sustainability or unsustainability of the village and its dimensions (livelihood, demographic, social, environmental, and managerial). The data were analyzed using NVivo software through the thematic analysis method. 
3. Findings
Based on observations, empirical data, and the frequency of categories identified in the interviews, sustainability was prioritized and classified into six main domains: “Demographic”; “Economic–livelihood”; “Managerial-Governance”; “Social”; “Environmental”; and “Cultural”. These domains exist in a dynamic, reciprocal relationship, alternately acting as both cause and effect. These domains interact with one another in a reciprocal causal relationship. Within this system, the twin factors of "proximity to the capital" and "water security" play a particularly significant role in the analysis of development and sustainability in the studied village. While adjacency to Tehran has created potential capacities for rural development, constraints such as the necessity of ensuring the capital’s drinking water supply, environmental limitations, and the expansion of land speculation have weakened the productive and livelihood functions of the village. The existing governance system has not only failed to mitigate structural conflicts but has itself become a key factor in intensifying the cycle of unsustainability. Governance in this area faces three fundamental challenges: centralization, lack of local institutional capacity, and the absence of an integrated development vision. Centralization has led to fragmented and uncoordinated sectoral policies. Specifically, decisions regarding the environmental buffer zone of the Jajrud River are made by central authorities without local community participation, while the implementation of essential infrastructure projects, such as the sewage network, has been delayed. This lack of coordination among governmental institutions and local bodies has resulted in the absence of a clearly accountable institution for regional needs. The demographic structure of the village is also experiencing an unsustainable trend. One of the most significant challenges in this domain is the decline of the indigenous population and the migration of young people to urban areas due to limited employment opportunities, inadequate educational and healthcare services, and insufficient incentives for long-term settlement.
4. Conclusion
The final conclusion is that Lavasan-e Bozorg is experiencing an ambiguous and contradictory state of development. Rural development in this area is simultaneously shaped by the leisure needs and lifestyle preferences of urban residents of the capital on the one hand, and by Tehran’s water security concerns - particularly those related to the Latian Dam - on the other. The influence of these relatively external factors on the internal conditions of the village has led to the emergence of an ambiguous definition of sustainability, such that the demands of rural residents and the challenges they face have formed a vicious cycle that impedes the resolution of rural problems and the achievement of sustainable development in terms of population stability, livelihoods, environmental protection, and participation.
In effect, the issue of development sustainability in the village has become a “structural problem”. That is, its roots are not confined to a single domain such as the economy, governance, or the environment; rather, it is the outcome of the interaction of a complex set of social and economic factors. This structural problem cannot be resolved in the short term and instead requires planning across medium- and long-term horizons, accompanied by a shift in approach toward participatory, locally based, and multi-level development (state, regional, and neighborhood levels), with an emphasis on livelihood diversification, the strengthening of effective participatory governance, and the integrated management of natural resources.
To understand the realities of rural areas in Iran, it is necessary to move beyond a state-led, single-dimensional perspective on development and to pay attention to the multiple dimensions of governance and sustainability. The experience of Lavasan-e Bozorg clearly demonstrates that physical and service-oriented development without strengthening social capital, cultural cohesion, and public participation does not meet the expectations of local residents. Sustainable development should therefore be pursued through livelihood diversification and the reinforcement of a resilient local economy, the maintenance of demographic balance and the creation of conditions for youth retention, the reform of local governance structures, and the enhancement of institutional coordination, in order to achieve a desirable spectrum of sustainability.