Assessment, Ranking, and Typology of Rural Development at the Level of Rural Districts (Dehestans) in Iran Using a Hybrid BWM and VIKOR Approach

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Amir Isanezhad 1
Shapour Zarifian 2
Hossein Yadavar 3
1 Department of Rural Extension and Development, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.
2 Professor, Department of Rural Extension and Development, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.
3 Associate Professor, Department of Rural Extension and Development, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.
10.22034/he.2026.583906.1220
Abstract
Rural development is a multidimensional, spatial, and uneven phenomenon that cannot be accurately assessed using a single indicator or broad provincial and county-level averages. This study aims to assess, rank, and typologize rural development at the level of rural districts in Iran using an integrated BWM–VIKOR approach. In terms of purpose, the study is applied, and in terms of method, it is quantitative and model-based. The research data include 23 rural development indicators covering economic, educational, health, basic infrastructure and services, spatial accessibility, settlement and physical structure, cultural–sports, and social support/deprivation dimensions. First, the indicator weights were determined using the Best–Worst Method (BWM). Then, rural districts were ranked using the VIKOR model based on the S, R, and Q indices. In addition, to improve the interpretation of the results, rural districts were classified into five development classes based on the Q index using Jenks Natural Breaks Optimization, and the dominant source of their development weakness was identified. The results show that the indicator of the population of villages with access to safe drinking water, with a weight of 0.1092, is the most important in the model. It is followed by indicators such as the unemployment rate, literacy rate, health services, asphalted roads, and access to gas, which are highly important. The VIKOR results indicate that the Q value ranges from 0.0251 to 0.9538, reflecting a considerable development gap among rural districts. Natel Kenar-e Sofla rural district in Nur County, Mazandaran Province, ranked highest, while Sardasht rural district in Bashagard County, Hormozgan Province, ranked lowest. The typology results also reveal that health weakness and weakness in basic infrastructure and services are the two main sources of rural districts’ distance from the ideal development status. Accordingly, rural development policymaking should consider not only the overall level of development but also the dominant type of weakness in each rural district. The findings indicate that the integrated BWM–VIKOR approach can serve as a transparent decision-support tool for spatial comparison, identification of deprivation hotspots, and prioritization of rural development interventions at the rural district level.

Highlights

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Keywords
Rural Development
Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM)
Best-Worst Method (BWM)
VIKOR
Spatial Inequality
Subjects
  1. Alkire, S., & Foster, J. (2011). Counting and multidimensional poverty measurement. Journal of Public Economics, 95(7–8), 476–487. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2010.11.006
  2. Ashley, C., & Maxwell, S. (2001). Rethinking rural development. Development Policy Review, 19(4), 395–425. DOI: 10.1111/1467-7679.00141
  3. Azkia, M. (2002). Rural society and revolution in Iran. In E. Hooglund (Ed.), Twenty years of Islamic revolution: Political and social transition in Iran since 1979 (pp. 96–119). Syracuse University Press.
  4. Azkia, M. (2005). Poverty, vulnerability and development: Case study of the Garmsar and Dasht-e Azadegan villages. Critique: Critical Middle Eastern Studies, 14(1), 109–125. DOI: 10.1080/10669920500057187
  5. Azkia, M., & Firouzabadi, A. (2006). The role of social capital in the creation of rural production associations: A case study of the Karkheh Dam watershed basin. Critique: Critical Middle Eastern Studies, 15(3), 295–315. DOI: 10.1080/10669920600997183
  6. Belton, V., & Stewart, T. J. (2002). Multiple criteria decision analysis: An integrated approach. Kluwer Academic Publishers.
  7. Chambers, R. (1983). Rural development: Putting the last first. Longman.
  8. Ellis, F., & Biggs, S. (2001). Evolving themes in rural development 1950s–2000s. Development Policy Review, 19(4), 437–448. DOI: 10.1111/1467-7679.00143
  9. Guo, S., & Zhao, H. (2017). Fuzzy best-worst multi-criteria decision-making method and its applications. Knowledge-Based Systems, 121, 23–31. DOI: 10.1016/j.knosys.2017.01.010
  10. Kanbur, R., & Venables, A. J. (Eds.). (2005). Spatial inequality and development. Oxford University Press.
  11. Lobao, L., Hooks, G., & Tickamyer, A. R. (Eds.). (2007). The sociology of spatial inequality. State University of New York Press.
  12. Malczewski, J., & Rinner, C. (2015). Multicriteria decision analysis in geographic information science. Springer.
  13. Mardani, A., Jusoh, A., Nor, K. M. D., Khalifah, Z., Zakwan, N., & Valipour, A. (2015). Multiple criteria decision-making techniques and their applications: A review of the literature from 2000 to 2014. Economic Research-Ekonomska Istraživanja, 28(1), 516–571. DOI: 10.1080/1331677X.2015.1075139
  14. Mardani, A., Zavadskas, E. K., Govindan, K., Amat Senin, A., & Jusoh, A. (2016). VIKOR technique: A systematic review of the state of the art literature on methodologies and applications. Sustainability, 8(1), Article 37. DOI: 10.3390/su8010037
  15. Mi, X., Tang, M., Liao, H., Shen, W., & Lev, B. (2019). The state-of-the-art survey on integrations and applications of the best worst method in decision making: Why, what, what for and what’s next? Omega, 87, 205–225. DOI: 10.1016/j.omega.2019.01.009
  16. Moseley, M. J. (2003). Rural development: Principles and practice. SAGE Publications.
  17. Opricovic, S. (1998). Multicriteria optimization in civil engineering. Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Belgrade.
  18. Opricovic, S., & Tzeng, G.-H. (2004). Compromise solution by MCDM methods: A comparative analysis of VIKOR and TOPSIS. European Journal of Operational Research, 156(2), 445–455. DOI: 10.1016/S0377-2217(03)00020-1
  19. Opricovic, S., & Tzeng, G.-H. (2007). Extended VIKOR method in comparison with outranking methods. European Journal of Operational Research, 178(2), 514–529. DOI: 10.1016/j.ejor.2006.01.020
  20. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2006). The new rural paradigm: Policies and governance. OECD Publishing. DOI: 10.1787/9789264023918-en
  21. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2020). Rural well-being: Geography of opportunities. OECD Publishing. DOI: 10.1787/d25cef80-en
  22. Rezaei, J. (2015). Best-worst multi-criteria decision-making method. Omega, 53, 49–57. DOI: 10.1016/j.omega.2014.11.009
  23. Rezaei, J. (2016). Best-worst multi-criteria decision-making method: Some properties and a linear model. Omega, 64, 126–130. DOI: 10.1016/j.omega.2015.12.001
  24. Saaty, T. L. (1980). The analytic hierarchy process: Planning, priority setting, resource allocation. McGraw-Hill.
  25. Sen, A. (1999). Development as freedom. Alfred A. Knopf.
  26. Soja, E. W. (2010). Seeking spatial justice. University of Minnesota Press.
  27. Triantaphyllou, E. (2000). Multi-criteria decision making: A comparative study. Kluwer Academic Publishers.
  28. World Bank. (2007). World development report 2008: Agriculture for development. World Bank.
  29. Yu, P.-L. (1973). A class of solutions for group decision problems. Management Science, 19(8), 936–946.
  30. Zavadskas, E. K., Mardani, A., Turskis, Z., Jusoh, A., & Nor, K. M. D. (2016). Development of TOPSIS method to solve complicated decision-making problems: An overview on developments from 2000 to 2015. International Journal of Information Technology & Decision Making, 15(3), 645–682. DOI: 10.1142/S0219622016300019
  31. Zeleny, M. (1973). Compromise programming. In J. L. Cochrane & M. Zeleny (Eds.), Multiple criteria decision making (pp. 262–301). University of South Carolina Press.
Human Ecology

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 30 May 2026