Recent frequent droughts and the excessive consumption of water resources by farmers have placed many regions of Iran at significant risk of water scarcity and its associated consequences. In this context, the study aimed to investigate the conservation behavior of wheat farmers in Khorramabad County concerning the risk of water scarcity. The research was of the "survey" type and categorized as "quantitative" in strategy, "applied" in purpose, "field" in data collection, and "descriptive-causal" in data analysis. Data were collected using a researcher-designed questionnaire, which consisted of two sections: descriptive (demographic characteristics) and detailed (conservation behavior of respondents, including attitude, intention, moral norm, mental norm, protective behavior, and perceived behavioral control). The statistical population comprised approximately 120,000 wheat farmers, with a sample size of 377 individuals determined using the Krejcie and Morgan table. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS26 and Smart-PLS3.3 software. The questionnaire's validity was verified through feedback from faculty members at the University of Tehran and the University of Lorestan. Additionally, the reliability of the research tool was confirmed by applying Cronbach's Alpha. Findings revealed that the variables of attitude, moral norms, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and intention accounted for over 67% of the variance in farmers' conservation behavior. The strongest path coefficient was linked to farmers' intentions to engage in water conservation behavior, while the weakest was related to subjective norms. Thus, the results suggest that implementing preventive behaviors in water conservation and risk management can mitigate the negative impacts of water scarcity.
