The Evaluation of the Degree of Urban Development in Different Cities of Khuzestan province and its Regional Inequality (1999-2003)

Regional inequalities on social and economic grounds are the consequences of economic retardation and development obstacles. In this study, the degree of urban development of different cities of Khuzestan and the inequality coefficient for the years 1999 (the last year of the second plan) and 2003 (the fourth year of the execution of the third plan) have been estimated. According to the results, in the year 1999, Ramhormoz, Dezful, Masjid Soleiman, Shushtar, Andimeshk, Abadan, Mahshahr, Baghmalek, and Khorramshar respectively received the first to the ninth rank in terms of urban development being above the development line (the average urban development) while Omidieh, Ahvaz, Shush, Izeh and Shadegan having respectively the tenth to the fourteenth rank were below this line. In the same year, Behbahan and Dashte Azadegan were omitted from the ranking due to their heterogeneity with the other cities. Besides, in the year 2003, Behbahan, Shushtar, Omidieh, Ahvaz, Ramhormoz, Abadan, Andimeshk, Baghmalek and Mahshahr were respectively ranked first to ninth being above the development line while Khorramshahr, Masjid Soleiman, Dashte Azadegan, Izeh, Shush, Dezful and Shadegan received respectively the tenth to the sixteenth ranks having a degree of development below the average. The results also suggest a decrease of inequality in the province during these years.