1. Introduction
According to recent global estimates, over 700 million people live in extreme poverty, the vast majority of whom reside in developing nations (World Bank, 2024; Bisiriyu et al., 2026). Approximately 40 percent of the global population faces financial deprivation and struggles to satisfy basic human needs, with rural populations bearing a disproportionate burden relative to urban areas (Wang et al., 2022). Indeed, the global rural poverty rate of 17.2 percent is more than three times that of urban centers (Bai, 2021). Consequently, formulating actionable strategies to eradicate rural poverty remains one of the most critical hurdles for policymakers striving toward sustainable development goals (Li et al., 2021). In Iran, Miyandoab County—situated in southern West Azerbaijan Province—exemplifies these challenges, having experienced declining agricultural performance alongside worsening poverty across its rural settlements. The region’s traditional agrarian economy, which serves as the primary livelihood pillar, faces a severe downward trajectory driven by compounding environmental and structural crises. Recurrent droughts, acute water scarcity, the desiccation of Lake Urmia, depleting groundwater tables, and the loss of arable land have severely undermined the economic viability of farming. Concurrently, limited industrialization, a lack of income-generating service activities, high unemployment, and continuous rural-to-urban migration—which effectively displaces rather than solves poverty—have led to the depopulation of several villages. Compounded by inadequate investment incentives and fragmented governance, these conditions have exacerbated regional food insecurity and economic vulnerability. Addressing this complex crisis necessitates targeted, community-driven strategic interventions that mitigate environmental risks while fostering local economic resilience. To this end, the primary objective of this study is to formulate and prioritize sustainable poverty-reduction strategies in Miyandoab County by addressing the core research question: Which strategic interventions can most effectively reduce rural poverty in Miyandoab County?

2. Methodology
This study is applied in term of purpose and descriptive–analytical in method. Data were collected through documentary reviews and fieldwork. The geographical scope of the research is Miyandoab County in West Azerbaijan Province. The population included experts and local specialists, farmers, industrial workers, business owners, village administrators (dehyars), members of Islamic rural councils, and staff from relevant governmental agencies (including the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee, the Agricultural Jihad Organization, the Welfare Organization, and the Housing Foundation). Using the grounded theory approach, 31 semi-structured interviews were conducted to identify the main strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats related to rural poverty reduction in Miyandoab. Subsequently, the weighting and ranking of internal and external factors were carried out using the opinions of 16 participants, and the prioritization of strategies was determined based on the evaluations of 14 experts. Sampling at all stages was qualitative and purposive. Data analysis was performed using SWOT analysis and the Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM).

3. Findings
To identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) associated with poverty reduction strategies in the rural areas of Miyandoab County—across institutional, infrastructural–spatial, social, economic, and natural dimensions—the qualitative Grounded Theory Method was employed. Based on the semi structured interviews, 32 internal strengths, 28 internal weaknesses, 22 external opportunities, and 22 external threats were identified. Following the completion of the SWOT analysis and the ranking of internal and external factors, the study proceeded to examine the county’s strategic positioning. The results indicated that in the rural areas of Miyandoab, the smaller strategic triangle (with final mean scores of 0.236 for strengths and 0.329 for threats) reflects the prioritization of competitive and diversification (ST) strategies for reducing rural poverty. Moreover, the findings highlighted several key strategies: systematic governmental support for entrepreneurs and business owners through streamlined administrative procedures and targeted financial credits; expansion of climate resilient smart agriculture as a viable foundation for attracting investors and enhancing rural economic dynamism; promotion of alternative cropping patterns (such as low water demand crops like saffron, pistachio, and hydroponic cultivation) to mitigate drought and reduce the impacts of declining water levels in Lake Urmia; and mobilizing governmental backing and private sector investment to develop service based and tourism related employment opportunities aimed at reducing youth migration from rural areas. These were identified as the most effective strategies for alleviating rural poverty in Miyandoab County.

4. Discussion and Conclusion
The empirical findings indicate that poverty reduction strategies in Miyandoab County span economic (47.8%), institutional and infrastructural–spatial (34.8%), social (13%), and natural (4.3%) dimensions, with economic interventions playing the predominant role. Specifically, the highest-prioritized strategies encompass: establishing systematic public support for micro-entrepreneurs by streamlining administrative procedures and granting targeted financial credits (attractiveness score: 2.47); expanding climate-resilient smart agriculture to attract investment (2.45); promoting drought-tolerant crop diversification—such as saffron, pistachio, and hydroponic systems—to mitigate Lake Urmia’s desiccation (2.40); mobilizing public-private investments in rural services and eco-tourism to curb youth out-migration (2.39); modernizing agricultural and horticultural mechanization integrated with regional processing hubs (2.32); expanding industrial and semi-industrial livestock operations through accessible concessionary loans (2.29); and leveraging Miyandoab’s transit corridor status to develop local service sector opportunities (2.27). Ultimately, achieving long-term rural poverty alleviation in the region necessitates a strategic shift from traditional farming toward climate-resilient production models (ST strategies), aggressive economic diversification into services and tourism (SO strategies), and robust institutional-financial support mechanisms (WO strategies) capable of strengthening regional economic resilience against persistent environmental shock and water scarcity.