Criteria and Indicators in Assessing Natural Resources Sustainability

Sustainable development is a comprehensive approach to improve human life quality and to meet economical, social and environmental needs of anthropological residents. In order to have a proper management of natural resources, at first it is necessary to determine the criteria that affect sustainability and use the most appropriate criteria. In this research, by forming a committee of experts and the strategic planning SWOT, criteria affecting the sustainable development of natural resources including management and organizational structure, natural resource economics, environmental factors and social and cultural issues of ecology and natural resources were determined. In addition, the effective indicators were identified for each criterion. The questionnaires with inconsistent coefficient less than 0.1 were selected for weighting. The overall compliance rate of the model for the criteria management and organizational structure of natural resources, socio-cultural issues of natural resources, ecology and environmental issues of natural resources and natural resource economics issues were 0.01, 0.01, 0.01 and 0.03, respectively. Then, by the analytical hierarchy process (AHP), the four most important and influential criteria were examined; the contribution of standard organizational structure and management of natural resources was determined as 38%. Implementation of integrated and systematic natural resources management in management and organizational structure, natural resource economics, environmental factors and social and cultural issues of ecology is essential for sustainable development of natural resources.