Application of DEA Technique in Analyzing the Sustainability of Rural Settlements: A Case Study of Villages in Bonab County of Iran

Received: 15 March, 2016 Accepted: 17 April, 2017 This study, with a descriptive-analysis approach, aimed at investigating the sustainability indicators in rural settlements using Shannon entropy, DEA Solver and matrix crossover techniques in the villages of Bonab county of Iran. The results indicated that from the 28 studied villages applying 30 indicators, 13 villages were recognized efficient. Moreover, to demonstrate the effectiveness of each countryside in terms of rating, the cross matrix was utilized; and accordingly, villages of Khoshe Mehr and Zavaragh and Kutah Mehr were allocated the first to third rankings, respectively, while Gheshlagh Khane Bargh, Khane Bargh Jadid and Algho villages were placed in the last rankings, reflecting the inappropriate situation among the studied villages.