Complexity and the Ecological Impacts of Tourism on Wetlands Ecosystem and Rural Sustainability: A Case Study of Zrebar Wetlands

Abstract

Due to its natural and ecological qualities, rural tourism has drawn greater attention in recent decades. The development of rural tourism provides a variety of advantages that influence the environment and local resources. Therefore, this study looks at how tourism affects the sustainability of the Zrebar wetland, an urban-rural area in the west of Iran, and the wetland ecosystem. In terms of the objectives of the study and the data collection strategy utilized to achieve them, this study is descriptive analytical. The Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) created with Analysis of Moment Structures (AMoS) software and SPSS version 22 were both used for the statistical analysis. Furthermore, the probability level of (P: 0.000) is optimum to use and after that, the spatial analysis was carried out in ArcGIS using the Kriging interpolation method. The findings imply that, with a factor load of 1.13, tourism has significantly contributed to environmental degradation. In order to draw tourists to the area around Zrebar lake, there has been an increase in villa development, dispersion of the community, significant construction, and extension of farms and family gardens. A variety of both beneficial and negative effects is brought about by the growth of tourism in Marivan city, which is three kilometers from the lake. The Zrebar wetland is the most affected and the rural communities close to it suffer the most. Due to their remoteness, the villages furthest from the marsh experience less hardship. Therefore, despite its good benefits, particularly in economic growth, the increase of tourism in this area has put the ecological value and biodiversity of Zrebar wetland at threat. In the end, it can have repercussions for rural communities.