Articles in Press
Back to the articles list |
Back to browse issues page
1- PhD, Department of Geography, Faculty of Literature and Human Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
2- Associate Professor, Department of Geography, Faculty of Letters and Humanities, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran ,baratalikhakpoure@gmail.com
2- Associate Professor, Department of Geography, Faculty of Letters and Humanities, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran ,
Abstract: (36 Views)
Institutional fragmentation, inadequate ecotourism expertise, and escalating environmental crises—particularly the water scarcity issue—have significantly underscored the imperative for comprehensive reforms in national governance policies. Such reforms necessitate the enhancement and strategic development of institutional capital. This study investigates the influence of institutional capacity development on the conservation of natural resources and the advancement of sustainable ecotourism in the Lake Urmia basin. Utilizing a mixed-methods design, integrating empirical fieldwork and documentary analysis, the research applies Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to quantitatively assess the impact of institutional capital on ecotourism sustainability. Findings reveal robust factor loadings across all latent constructs and confirm model adequacy through satisfactory fit indices. Statistical analyses at a 99% confidence level demonstrate a positive and statistically significant correlation between institutional capacity development and sustainable ecotourism outcomes. Nevertheless, the extant status of institutional capital within human, social, institutional, economic, and ecological domains remains substantially below optimal thresholds. Major impediments include deficient institutional coordination, limited participatory engagement of local communities, insufficient human capital development, and the absence of integrated environmental governance frameworks. Consequently, policy reformation aimed at institutional strengthening, investment in capacity-building and environmental education at local and regional scales, alongside the establishment of participatory governance mechanisms involving multi-stakeholder collaboration, constitute critical prerequisites for enhancing ecotourism sustainability and natural resource stewardship in this ecologically sensitive region.
Send email to the article author
| Rights and permissions | |
 |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |
