Understanding the effects of complex issues such as water scarcity on human society from the people's perspective is necessary to show how to adapt to these challenges. This research investigates and prioritizes the effects of water scarcity on the sustainability of rural communities through a mixed research methodology, including a case study and a survey in a semi-arid region, located in southern Iran. The results of using the Analytical Hierarchy Processing (AHP) technique showed that local people identify the economic dimension of sustainability as a priority dimension. Moreover, the alternative of unsustainability under water scarcity in the area received the highest priority and had a larger value than the sustainability alternative. This can be the result of the restricting international policies against Iran and the global climatic condition. Local communities, particularly farmers, perceive climate change and water scarcity as a global issue and a local challenge, which causes semi-arid areas to move towards unsustainability rather than sustainability. The sustainability of semi-arid areas under water scarcity requires climate change adaptation, appropriate long-term planning, and the removal of restricting international economic policies against nations. Display omitted •The climate becomes warmer or colder and the annual precipitation of an area increases under climate change conditions.•Climate change and water scarcity are recognized as serious risks threatening sustainable development in various aspects.•Components affecting this prioritization are mostly climate change, poor long-term planning, and restricting global economic policies toward Iran.