Plans for villages in the margin of the lagoon with an accentuation on tourism advancement (Case Study: Village Rogbeh, Shadegan, Iran)

Authors

  • Seyed Mohammad Mousavi Shalheh *

    Department of Engineering, Design of Mehrazi Sabat Co., Karaj, 59659-31866, Iran
  • Elham Rostami

    Department of Industrial Engineering, Payam-e-Noor University (PNU), Tehran,19395-4697, Iran
  • Seyed Majid Mousavi

    Department of Teaching English, Mousavi Institute, Abadan, 63168-15152, Iran
  • Somayeh Shirin Jani

    Department of Urban Planning, University of Applied Science and Technology, Tehran, 65111-15996, Iran

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55121/nc.v4i2.289

Keywords:

Sustainable Tourism, Shadegan Lagoon, Community Participation, SWOT Analysis, Cultural Heritage, Rural Development

Abstract

This research examines the potential for sustainable tourism development in Rogbeh Village, a socio-economically marginalized settlement situated along the ecologically fragile Shadegan Lagoon in southwestern Iran. Confronting intersecting challenges of environmental degradation (e.g., pollution, habitat loss) and socio-economic vulnerability (e.g., youth outmigration, infrastructure deficits), this study proposes a participatory tourism framework that synergistically integrates Indigenous cultural heritage—including Arabic-speaking Bahrani traditions, vernacular stilt architecture, and artisanal houri canoe craftsmanship—with regenerative infrastructure design. Employing a robust mixed methodology, the research synthesizes: comprehensive SWOT analysis to identify strengths (e.g., lagoon-centric livelihoods, biodiversity hotspots), weaknesses (e.g., absent wastewater treatment, limited tourist accommodations), opportunities(e.g., Ramsar Convention recognition), and threats (e.g., saltwater intrusion); semi-structured interviews with 45 key stakeholders (30 villagers, 10 local officials, 5 NGO representatives), revealing community priorities and ecological concerns; quantitative datasets on water quality, demographic trends, and livelihood dependency ratios. Findings demonstrate Rogbeh’s unique cultural-ecological landscape as a high-potential ecotourism destination. However, critical barriers—notably institutional fragmentation, sanitation deficiencies, and seasonal eco-nomic instability require systematic intervention. The study advocates a three-pillar solution: eco-sensitive infrastructure: reed-built lodges using solar energy, grey-water recycling, and elevated walkways to minimize wetland disruption; community led governance: tourism coopera-tives allocating 30% of revenues to local healthcare/education, with microgrants for women-led enterprises; this model positions Rogbeh as a replicable prototype where cultural resilience, ecological stewardship, and equitable benefit-shar-ing catalyze holistic sustainability in marginalized wetland communities offering transformative insights for global South contexts facing similar climate-poverty nexuses.

Author Biography

Elham Rostami, <p><em>Department of Industrial Engineering, Payam-e-Noor University (PNU), Tehran,19395-4697, Iran</em></p>

Invited Lecturer of Industrial Engineering Department, Payam-e-Noor University (PNU)

References

[1] Akrami, G., 2010. Mysteries of rural architecture. Journal Rural Housing Environment. 29(131), 27–50.

[2] Amar, T., Naeij, F., 2011. Geographical analysis of housing and architecture in the rural district of Miyanband Part of Nour city [in Persian]. Journal Rural Housing Environment. 30(135), 43–56.

[3] Bemanian, M., Pourjaffar, M., Mahmudinezhad, H., 2010. Proposed model for implementing e-tourism, in rural tourism development projects (Checking comparative and presentation the proposed model according to conditions contemporary of Iran) [ in Persian]. Journal of Urban Management. 23, 71–76.

[4] Dai, T., Hein, C., Zhang, T., 2019. Understanding how Amsterdam City tourism marketing addresses cruise tourists’ motivations regarding culture. Journal Tourism Management Perspectives. 29, 162–163. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2018.12.001

[5] Organization of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism of Anzali city (OCHHTA), 2006. Project of comprehensive tourism plan of Bandar Anzali lagoon, Consulting engineers of design and strategy of Royan. 1st ed. 21-03-2022.

[6] Hassan, S., Olsen, S.B., Thorsen, B.J., 2019. Urban-rural divides in preferences for wetland conservation in Malaysia. Journal Land Use Policy. 84, 227–235. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2019.03.015

[7] Bemanian, M., Ahmadi, F., Sadeghi, A., 2014. Development of sustainable tourism, protected area of Margoon waterfall Fars with emphasis on principles and criteria of sustainable landscaping [in Persian]. Journal of Sciences and technology Environmental. 1. 153–155.

[8] Deletic, A., Wang, H., 2019. Water pollution control for sustainable development. Journal Engineering. 5(5), 839–840. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2019.07.013

[9] Shia, E., Eshliki, S.A., 2011. Analysis of the environmental quality of coastal tourism according to the criteria of sustainable tourism (Case study Ramsar city beaches). Journal Armanshahr. 5, 157–159.

[10] Hashemi, S.M., Hoseinpour, S.A., 2011. Review and assess the effects of tourists attracting rural areas in the (meta-analysis approach) with emphasis on the fields of the tourism industry spread. Journal of Urban Management. 26, 210–215.

[11] Castro-Arce, K., Vanclay, F., 2020. Transformative social innovation for sustainable rural development: An analytical framework to assist community-based initiatives. Journal of Rural Studies. 74, 45–54. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2019.11.010

[12] Pilving, T., Kull, T., Suškevičs, M., 2019. The tourism partnership life cycle in Estonia: Striving towards sustainable multisectoral rural tourism collaboration. Journal Tourism Management Perspectives. 31, 220–228. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2019.05.001

[13] Goodarzi Soroush, M., 2012. The impact research of tourism on rural development (Case Study: Hamedan Varkaneh village) [in Persian]. Journal the Identity of the City. 8, 100.

[14] Vitasurya, V.R., 2016. Local wisdom for sustainable development of rural tourism, case on Kalibiru and Lopati Village, Province of Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta. Social and Behavioral Sciences. 216, 97–108. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.12.014

[15] Ansari, M., Bemanian, M., Nejad, M.J.M, et al., 2012. Locating natural tourist areas based on the principles of landscape architecture (Usage combined focus discussion group of FGD and analytic hierarchy process AHP). Journal of Urban Management. 10(29), 7–22.

[16] Eftekhari, A.R., Hajipour, M., Fatehi, A., et al., 2012. Determine the conformity of new construction in rural areas with vernacular architecture and satisfaction quantity of the rural residents (Case Study: the central city Delfan). Journal Rural Housing Environment. 139, 86.

[17] Rostami, E., Shalheh, S.M.M., 2018. Comparative study of the effect of native architecture on planning of pond-based villages (case study: Sarakhiyeh village in the pond of Shadegan). Journal Cogent Engineering. 5, 4–10. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/23311916.2018.1469084

[18] Rhoden, S., Kaaristo, M., 2020. Liquidness: Conceptualising water within boating tourism. Journal Annals of Tourism Research. 81, 1–4. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2019.102854

[19] Movahed, A., Kahzadi, S., 2011. Analysis of factors affecting tourism development in the Kurdistan province by using SWOT Model. Journal Research and Urban Planning. 2, 86.

[20] Pyke, S., Hartwell, H., Blake, A., et al., 2016. Exploring well-being as a tourism product resource. Journal Tourism Management. 55, 94–105. DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2016.02.004

[21] Helseth, E.V., Vedeld, P., Vatn, A., et al., 2023. Value asymmetries in Norwegian forest governance: the role of institutions and power dynamics. Ecological Economics. 214, 107973. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2023.107973

[22] Masnavi, M., Soltanifard, H., 2007. Complex landscape and the landscape of complexity role of the complexity of ecological stability. Journal of Environmental Sciences. 4(2), 85–100.

[23] Norberg-Schulz, C., 1984. The Concept of Dwelling on the way to Figurative Architecture [Translated by Mahmood Amir Yarahmadi, 2003], 1st ed. Agah: Tehran, Iran. pp. 23–118.

[24] Creswell, J.W., Creswell, J.D., 2018. Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches, 5th ed. Sage Publications, Ins.: Thousand Oaks, CA, USA. pp. 1–438.

[25] Levitt, H.M., Bamberg, M., Creswell, J.W., et al., 2018. Journal article reporting standards for qualitative primary, qualitative meta-analytic, and mixed methods research in psychology: The APA Publications and Communications Board task force report. American Psychologist. 73(1), 26–46. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/amp0000151

[26] Fantazi, I., Hecham, B.Z., Petrişor, A.I., 2019. The impact of the absence of communication on the success of rehabilitation projects of the built heritage: the case of the Old City of Constantine. Present Environment and Sustainable Development. 13(1), 225–239. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/pesd-2019-0018

[27] Mackay, M., Perkins, H.C., 2019. Making space for community in super-productivist rural settings. Journal of Rural Studies. 68, 1–2. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2019.03.012

[28] Milbourne, P., Kitchen, L., 2014. Rural mobilities: Connecting movement and fixity in rural places. Journal of Rural Studies. 34, 327–328. DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2014.01.004

[29] Biddulph, R., 2015. Limits to mass tourism’s effects in rural peripheries. Annals of Tourism Research. 50, 98–112. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2014.11.011

[30] UNESCO, 2021. Operational guidelines for the implementation of the world heritage convention. Available from: https://whc.unesco.org/en/guidelines (cited 12-05-2021).

[31] Ostrom, E., 2009. A general framework for analyzing sustainability of social-ecological systems. Science. 325(5939), 419–422. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1172133

[32] Ohe, Y., Ikei, H., Song, C., et al., 2017. Evaluating the relaxation effects of emerging forest-therapy tourism: A multidisciplinary approach. Journal Tourism Management. 62, 323–332. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2017.04.010

[33] Page, S.J., Hartwell, H., Johns, N., et al., 2017. Case study: wellness, tourism and small business development in a UK coastal resort: public engagement in practice. Journal Tourism Management. 60, 466–477. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2016.12.014

[34] Le Tourneau, F.M., 2020. Sparsely populated regions as a specific geographical environment. Journal of Rural Studies. 75, 70–79. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2019.12.012

[35] Jeuring, J.H.G., 2017. Weather perceptions, holiday satisfaction and perceived attractiveness of domestic vacationing in The Netherlands. Journal Tourism Management. 61, 71–72. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2017.01.018

[36] Hewlett, D., Brown, L., 2018. Planning for tranquil spaces in rural destinations through mixed methods research. Journal Tourism Management. 67, 237–247. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2018.01.011

[37] Organization of Foundation for the Housing of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Shadegan city (OFHIS), 2013. Project of improvement plan sample for the Rogbeh village, Consulting engineers of design and strategy of Pouyesh Jame. 1st ed. 18-11-2021.

[38] Zargar, A., 2010. Introduction to Understanding the rural architecture of Iran [in Persian]. Shahid Beheshti University Press: Tehran, Iran. pp. 83-195.

Downloads

How to Cite

Mousavi Shalheh, S. M., Rostami, E., Mousavi, S. M., & Shirin Jani, S. (2025). Plans for villages in the margin of the lagoon with an accentuation on tourism advancement (Case Study: Village Rogbeh, Shadegan, Iran). New Countryside, 4(2), 14–19. https://doi.org/10.55121/nc.v4i2.289

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 2 (July 2025): In Progress

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Seyed Mohammad Mousavi Shalheh, Elham Rostami, Seyed Majid Mousavi, Somayeh Shirin Jani

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.