The role of water in rural housing in Mazandaran and the feasibility of physical regeneration of water resources management structures

Climate Change has revealed the necessity of attention to the issue of water in different fields such as architecture. Water use management in arid and semi - arid climates of Iran has long been considered by the scientific and executive community of the country, but these considerations are not considered in humid regions, especially the Caspian Sea. This lack of attention to the subject of water in the studies of Rural Architecture in the area of Mazandaran is under conditions that the structures of buildings are shaped by water. The purpose of this paper is to analyze feasibility of developing rainwater harvesting systems in rural housing of Mazandaran province according to the compatibility in three dimensions of social, physical and institutional. This paper is an applied and quantitative research. the data were classified into three groups: physical, social and technical. This paper is an applied and quantitative research. The data were classified into three groups of physical, social and technical. Quantitative data analysis was done by Delphi method and Kolmogorov-Smirnov test by SPSS.24 software. The study area is the villages of Mazandaran province (Parsi, Shaneshar, Diva, Kabarakla, Kotna and Varki villages) which are divided into three groups of "mountainous", "foothill" and "plain". The results show that participation in the development of rainwater harvesting in mountain and foothill regions of the province is close to each other, but in plain villages, social adjustment is lower than average. In the physical dimension, the adaptation of rural architecture is above average and this consistency in all three types of villages is almost close to each other. the results show that participation in the development of rainwater harvesting in mountain and foothill regions of the province is close to each other, but in plain villages, social adjustment is lower than average. In the physical dimension, the adaptation of rural architecture is above average and this consistency in all three types of villages is almost close to each other. Therefore, the physical structure and architecture of rural housing of Mazandaran have the potential to develop rainwater harvesting systems; But in the institutional dimension, Rural Management capacities are more than average and can prevent the development of rainwater harvesting systems in the villages of Mazandaran.