Varzaneh has suffered from several serious droughts since 2000, which have affected the region’s agricultural productivity. Consequently, water management and water-related problems in the Zayanadeh-rud basin are now frequent topics for discussion. Nonetheless, little effort has been made to describe clearly and concretely how the inhabitants who use river water for irrigation cope with droughts and severe water shortages. This study seeks to describe how the people of Varzaneh have responded to droughts by focusing on their daily practices and subsistence activities. To achieve this, the life histories of inhabitants of Varzaneh were described and analyzed. These life histories not only revealed the implications of drought for the lives of those dwelling downstream but also strongly reflected the impact of ongoing changes in Iran.
