Analyzing the relationship between good governance and sustainability in protected areas (Case study: Jajrood Protected Area)

Protected areas are defined as spaces that are expected to protect ecosystems and species from the destructive effects of human activities. However, the increasing depth of anthropogenic impacts such as illegal fishing, hunting, logging, road construction, mining and neglect of land management have significantly reduced the sustainability of these areas. The Jajrud Protected Area is one of the country's protected areas that has faced instability due to problems such as land grabbing and encroachment by various organizations, settlement construction, destruction of vegetation and land use change, dam construction, and military maneuvers. In this research, an attempt has been made to help achieve sustainability in the Jajrud Protected Area by utilizing a good governance approach. The method of this research is causal and documentary and survey methods have been used to collect data. For this purpose, a structured questionnaire has been used to collect the data required for the research. The reliability of the data obtained from the questionnaire was determined by calculating Cronbach's alpha. Data analysis was based on quantitative methods (descriptive and inferential statistical tests) such as examining the mean, standard deviation, and coefficient of variation calculated for each of the research variables. Spearman correlation test was used to examine the correlation between good governance and sustainability. The findings of this study show that the status of good governance in the study area is weak based on the Likert scale and the level of sustainability is also weak. The results of sustainability indicate a poor state of socio-cultural, economic-institutional, and environmental-physical dimensions. The results of good governance also indicate that the three variables of accountability, responsibility, and transparency have an average state. The variables of participation, rule of law, justice, collective agreement, effectiveness, and intelligence also have a weak status. The research findings indicate that there is a positive and direct relationship between the approach to good governance and sustainability in the study area with an intensity of 0.198.