Measuring Socio-cultural Resilience of Rural Environments Exposed to Flood Risk Using the TOPSIS Method

Document Type : Research

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Soil Conservation and Watershed Management Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Department of Rangeland and Watershed Management, Faculty of Agriculture, Ilam University, Ilam, Iran

3 M.Sc. Student of Watershed Science and Engineering, Department of Rangeland and Watershed Management, Faculty of Agriculture, Ilam University, Ilam, Iran

4 Associate Professor, Soil Conservation and Watershed Management Research Institute (SCWMRI), Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran

10.22092/wmrj.2025.368104.1610

Abstract

Introduction and Goal
In the past decades, unsustainable development has led to the emergence and occurrence of various crises and human, social, economic losses, and environmental hazards in the country's watersheds. In particular, flooding is one of the phenomena that has increased significantly in urban and rural areas of the country in recent decades due to this unsustainable development and the effects of climate change. Accordingly, measuring various dimensions of resilience of urban and rural communities at risk of flooding as well as identifying strategies to increase resilience against flooding, is an important step in manage this phenomenon, especially in the process of integrated watershed management. In this study, the relative and absolute potential of socio-cultural resilience of local communities at risk of flooding in the hydrological units of the Sang Sefid watershed was carried out using the TOPSIS multi-attribute decision-making method.
Materials and Methods
In this study, first, indicators of socio-cultural resilience were identified, based on the literature review, interviews with experts, as well as field visits and interviews with residents. Then, the multiple response coding method was used to quantify the socio-cultural resilience indicators in the current situation of the region. The variables used in the questionnaire were considered qualitative ordinal variables according to the Likert scale (very low (1), low (2), moderate (3), high (4) and very high (5)) were considered. Then, after assessing the validity and reliability of the questionnaire, a survey was conducted among the residents of the area. In this regard, the validity of the questionnaire was approved by the expert group. Also, Cronbach's alpha method was used to calculate the reliability of the measurement tool. Also, in this study, the sample unit was a rural household, and Cochran's formula was used to calculate the sample size based on the number of rural households in each hydrological unit. Finally, to measure the relative and absolute potential of socio-cultural resilience of local communities at risk of flooding was measured in the demarcation of hydrological units of the Sang Sefid watershed and was determined using the TOPSIS multi-criteria decision-making method, with and without the intervention of two hypothetical alternatives in the form of minimum and maximum values of resilience potential (respectively with average values of 1 and 5 related to all indicators in units).
Results and Discussion
In this study, 11 indicators were identified as the main items for measuring the resilience of rural environments at risk of flooding. Also, the sample size based on Cochran's formula was calculated as 663 samples. In addition, the value of Cronbach's alpha was calculated as 0.832, which indicates the good reliability of the measurement tool. The results show that the most important and least important indicators in measuring socio-cultural resilience compared to other indicators from the experts' perspective were indicatorsindicators V1 (The level of responsibility and participation of the local community) and V4 (The level of familiarity of local community residents with each other) respectively. Also, five other important indicators included V1, V6 (level of knowledge of the local community about flood and necessary measures), V9 (sense of belonging of the residents to the region), V11 (level of trust of the local community in the policies and programs of the authorities) and V8 (level of trust of the local community in the fair service of the custodian institutions in times of crisis and after) respectively. Also, the results show that the range of values of relative closeness to the positive and negative ideal solution varies from 0.80 to 5.20 and 1.98 to 5.90, respectively. Also, the range of TOPSIS index values varies from 0.28 to 0.88. The wide range of the TOPSIS index indicates the presence of units with different flood resilience potentials in the studied area. In this regard, the results showed that the lowest and highest flood resilience measures (Ri measures) were 0.28 and 0.88 for units S-int2 and S9, respectively. Also, in rural areas at risk of flooding in the boundaries of selected hydrological units, the resilience potential of 6669.4 hectares (73.41%) have moderate resilience potential, 732.5 hectares (8.06%) have high resilience potential, and 1682.7 hectares (18.52%) was very high.
Conclusion and Suggestions
The results of this study show the different importance among the 11 indicators identified in measuring resilience. The results of measuring the resilience potential of rural environments at risk of flooding in the demarcation of hydrological units of the Sang Sefid watershed indicated the existence of types of units with medium, high, and very high resilience potential in the studied watershed. Based on the results of this research, it is recommended to use SWOT and DPSIR programs to increase the resilience potential of units, especially by applying problem structuring methods. In addition, the use of the results of this study and various techniques for determining the importance or weights of indicators in combination with other multi-attribute decision-making methods is suggested for future studies of resilience measurement. Also, the time-consuming survey to fill the questionnaire by the watershed residents was the most challenging issue in the current study.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Watershed Management Research
Volume 38, Issue 3 - Serial Number 148
September 2025
Pages 57-77

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  • Receive Date: 29 December 2024
  • Revise Date: 12 February 2025
  • Accept Date: 18 March 2025

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