WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT, cilt.22, sa.5, ss.611-619, 2008 (SCI-Expanded)
The effects of an irrigation project on rural migration were investigated by applying questionnaires to the residences living around the reservoir. Relationships between the migration idea and education level, age, extent of cultivated and owned area of each of family heads have also been examined. It was determined that irrigation projects affected rural development through in many ways, such as improvement of agricultural productivity, increase of activities on farm and alteration of human-land relationships, but still many local people living rural areas preferred to leave their villages in order to settle in big cities. Most of the farmers found the urban centers more attractive with the though of having opportunity for a better chance for education, employment, housing etc. without paying attention the employment. It has been found that migration idea was not depending on the extent of cultivated area and education level of the family heads. However, age and amount of farmland played very significant (p < 0.01) role in rural migration.