Assessing the Development Level of Rural Areas in Rasht County by Using TOPSIS and AHP Techniques

The main purpose of this study was to determine and measure the level of development rurals in districts of Rasht County in terms of having rural development and explain the existed gap between them. The present study was done in 18 rural districts of Rasht County by using TOPSIS and weighting 35 indicators under examination according to the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The necessary data was collected using library and field (questionnaire) studies, elaborative and detailed results of the General Census of Population and Housing 2013 in Rasht, the statistical reports of Guilan Agricultural Jihad Organization and management. The results of rural development level assessment using the TOPSIS technique indicated that in terms of rural development, 4 districts are low-developed and 14 districts are deprived. This issue suggests that rural districts of Rahst suffer from developing level, in addition it was revealed that the development of rural areas in this County is highly hindered.