Abstract
Introduction
Wetlands are among the richest ecosystems in the world, playing a vital role in climate regulation, biodiversity conservation, and sustaining the livelihoods of more than one billion people. Despite these values, over 50% of the world’s wetlands have been destroyed since 1900, leading to consequences such as reduced food security, increased poverty, and rural migration. In this context, livelihood diversification and the utilization of capacities such as ecotourism and sustainable agriculture—particularly in Meyghan Wetland—are considered key strategies for enhancing the economic and social resilience of local communities.

Materials and Methods
This research was conducted with a descriptive–analytical approach in the form of an applied study. The statistical population included three main stakeholder groups of Meyghan Wetland: local communities, tourists, and citizens of the metropolitan city of Arak. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire containing both closed and open-ended questions, distributed evenly among 300 participants. Ultimately, 180 questionnaires were validated, with 60 from each group. The validity of the instrument was confirmed by experts, and its reliability was verified with a Cronbach’s alpha above 0.7.
Results
Regarding the perspectives of local communities, the findings indicate that between 38% and 62% of respondents assessed the role of resources such as forage, tourism, water resources, bird hunting, fishing, aquatic plants, handicrafts, and other activities including horticulture and livestock farming as “very low” in supporting their livelihoods. These results suggest that the ecological resources of the wetland hold a limited position within the livelihood portfolio of local communities. Concerning the views of residents of the Arak metropolitan area, the dependence of local communities on wetland resources was also evaluated as very low. Between 28% and 52% of respondents rated the role of these resources as “very low,” 15% to 30% as “moderate,” and only 3% to 17% as “very high.” With respect to tourists’ perspectives, the results showed that 20% to 37% assessed the role of these resources as “very low,” 15% to 30% as “moderate,” and only 0% to 15% as “very high.
Discussion
The analysis of respondents’ demographic characteristics (gender, age, and education level) highlights the importance of women’s participation, the active role of middle-aged individuals, and the integration of scientific knowledge with indigenous knowledge in the sustainable management of the wetland. Accordingly, livelihood diversification strategies should be grounded in the development of alternative employment opportunities, as well as the education and empowerment of different social groups, in order to strengthen the resilience of communities surrounding the wetland. Overall, the findings derived from the three stakeholder groups indicate that the ecological resources of the Meighan Wetland play a limited role in the livelihoods of local communities. These results underscore the necessity of designing and implementing sustainable alternative strategies to enhance local livelihoods particularly in terms of reducing pressure on wetland resources, increasing the economic resilience of local households, and strengthening participation in natural resource management. These results underscore the necessity of designing and implementing sustainable alternative strategies to enhance local livelihoods particularly in terms of reducing pressure on wetland resources, increasing the economic resilience of local households, and strengthening participation in natural resource management.