Ranking Development Levels Using Multi-Index Decision Making Techniques (Case Study: Boyer Ahmad County)

Although it is important to improve all rural areas in the process of rural development, it is more important to pay attention to disadvantaged and less privileged areas in order to meet their basic needs and mitigate their differences. The first step in the process of planning and development of rural areas is to identify the facilities and determine the extent to which the settlements have different development opportunities. The aim of this study is to analyze and rank the levels of development and recognition of the most favored and deprived villages in Boyer Ahmad County. This is an applied study based on its purpose and descriptive-analytical based on the nature and method. The statistical population of the study is the districts of Boyerahmad County. In order to evaluate and rank the development levels of the villages, 38 indices were adjusted based on data from villages in 2016. These variables were weighted using Shannon entropy method and Topsis technique was used for data analysis. The results show that rural areas are at different levels in terms of development indicators. One district is in the relatively developed class, 3 districts are in the developing class, and the other 5 are in the relatively deprived class. In order to improve the status of rural development, it was suggested that in order to achieve balance in rural areas of the city, the attention goes to a decentralization policy in rural servicing.