Droughts, as extreme climatic events, have profound impacts on rural communities, often triggering significant shifts in migration patterns and challenging the livability of these areas. This study focuses on Bavi City, a region that has experienced the harsh realities of prolonged drought conditions, to analyze the resultant changes in the livability and migration behaviors of its rural households. The study sample includes 347 farmers who are heads of households living in the villages of Bavi city and were selected by systematic random sampling. Using the TOPSIS method, the economic, social, and environmental aspects of the livability level of rural households in Bavi City were calculated and prioritized. The results showed that most of the rural households have a low and medium livability level in all dimensions. The findings showed that there is a significant difference between the villages in terms of the livability of rural households in drought conditions. Also, based on the results, the relationship between the variables of age, education, and the number of promotional courses attended in one year with the living conditions of households is significant. In addition, the results showed that there is a negative and significant relationship between all dimensions of livability and the number of people who have migrated into their households.
 
 
Extended Abstract
Introduction
In recent years, the concept of livability has gained significant importance as a framework for assessing the quality of life in different environments (Kovacs-Györi et al., 2019). Livability encompasses many factors such as economic, social, and environmental sustainability that contribute to the well-being of individuals and communities (Martino et al., 2021). Simply put, livability refers to the available resources for local communities to transform their spaces into better places for work, living, and family growth at various levels (Bohorquez et al., 2023). Assessing this phenomenon has always been a subject of debate, and extensive research has been conducted to evaluate the interplay of livability components on urban and rural populations worldwide (Zhang et al., 2023; Yurui et al., 2020; Savari et al., 2023a; Pang et al., 2024).
The county of Bavi in Khuzestan Province, like many rural and agricultural areas in Iran, has faced significant challenges in recent decades. Among these challenges, recurring droughts and their impact on the livability of rural areas are noteworthy. For areas like Bavi, where agriculture forms the backbone of the economy and social life, the implications of drought are particularly prominent. Despite the increasing volume of research on this subject, few comprehensive studies have presented how drought affects the livability components in rural environments (Savari et al., 2023a). In this county, assessing the concept of livability as the ability of a region to support human life and welfare presents a significant challenge, especially when climate change and environmental crises disrupt local ecosystems and traditional livelihoods. Therefore, Bavi County, as an area dependent on water resources for agriculture, is heavily affected by drought phenomena, directly impacting the lives of farmers and other residents. Thus, the unique geographical area with climatic challenges is a persuasive basis for examining the dimensions of livability and the underpinnings of economic, social, and environmental stability (Savari et al., 2023b).
The present study addresses the observed knowledge gap in the literature concerning the individual and synergistic effects of drought on livability factors in rural environments. This research seeks to answer the question of how the economic, social, and environmental livability status of rural households in Bavi County is influenced by drought conditions. Therefore, this study will significantly contribute to the existing literature and serve as a basis for formulating policies that enhance the resilience of the Bavi population in the face of climate adversities.
 
Methods and Data
The current study is of a descriptive survey type with a quantitative approach to investigate the livability status of rural households in Bavi County. The statistical population of this research consists of 6,670 agricultural households residing in the villages of Bavi County in Khuzestan Province. Based on the Kelsey and Morgan table, a sample consisting of 347 household heads was selected using systematic random sampling and based on the Agricultural Jihad Organization's management list. Data collection for this research was conducted using a questionnaire. The study utilized descriptive statistics, including mean, standard deviation, frequency, and percentage, and inferential statistics, such as mean comparison, and correlation coefficients. Data analysis was performed using SPSS and ArcGIS software for descriptive and inferential statistics.
 
Findings
Based on the findings, 342 households, equivalent to 98.6%, were headed by men, and only 5 households, equivalent to 1.4%, were headed by women. The age distribution of household heads indicated that 71.8% of them were under the age of 45. In terms of the number of individuals in the households, the highest frequency was related to households with five to seven members, at 44.6%. Most respondents had between 11 and 20 years of experience in agriculture. Additionally, 35.7% of the respondents did not participate in any educational program in the past year, and 30.8% of them only participated in one program. After calculating each dimension separately, a composite index was formed to calculate the status of livability of rural households in Bavi County using the following formula:
Livability = Environment Livability + Social Livability + Economic Livability
The results in Table 1 indicate that only 85 households (24.49%) of the rural households have a high level of livability, while 262 households (75.51%) have medium to low livability levels.
Table 1- Grouping the livability status of rural households
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In order to compare the livability status among four studied regions, including the districts of Veis, Zarghan, Anarjoo, and Malashtan, a one-way ANOVA test was used. Based on the results presented in Table 2, it can be stated that there is a significant difference in the livability status of rural households among different regions under drought conditions.
Table 2- Comparison of livability status among different regions
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Additionally, to investigate the relationship between livability status and individual and professional variables, correlation tests were used. According to the results obtained, it can be said that there is a significant relationship between age, education, and the number of participations in educational programs within a year with the livability status of households. This is while variables such as gender, work experience, and the number of household members do not have a statistically significant relationship with livability.
 
Conclusion and Discussion
The results showed that most of the rural households in this city have a low and medium livability level. In other words, rural households face many problems and challenges in economic, social, and environmental fields in drought conditions. Among these problems, we can mention the decrease in income, increase in costs, decrease in production, increase in unemployment, decrease in quality of life, decrease in social capital, decrease in the sense of belonging to place, decrease in vitality, decrease in access to infrastructure, decrease in landscape and decrease in soil fertility. These problems can lead to increased migration, reduced food security, reduced ability to adapt and resist drought, and reduced sustainable rural development. Therefore, it is necessary to take measures from the government, related organizations, and centers to increase the viability of rural households in drought conditions. These measures can include providing economic, social and environmental services and facilities, improving the level of education and information, promoting new and efficient technologies, strengthening social capital and a sense of belonging to a place, creating employment and income-generating opportunities, evaluating and reducing social risks, improving the quality of life and perspective and maintain and improve soil fertility.
 
Acknowledgments
This paper is based on the Master Thesis of the first author in Rural Development, which was conducted at the Faculty of Agricultural and Rural Development Engineering, Khuzestan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. The authors would like to express their gratitude for the constructive feedback received from the thesis examiners and anonymous reviewers of this article.