Assessment of sustainable development models for rural watershed areas with a focus on environmental components

Abstract

<p>From the point of view of the systemic approach in sustainable rural development programs, all components should be considered concerning each other, but one of the most important components is the environmental index in development programs. Considering that the lack of attention to the environmental components in the development plans of many projects has failed and many challenges have been created in the environmental components. The current research aims to evaluate the role of environmental components in the sustainable development of rural areas. For this purpose, a questionnaire was compiled and using Cochran’s formula, a sample size of 100 copies of the questionnaire was completed from household heads, and in addition, 20 copies of the questionnaire were completed to survey the relevant officials. SPSS software was used to classify and analyze data and information, and the AHP model was used to examine the relationship between variables and prioritize them. The studied area was located in the north of Tehran-Mashhad asphalt road and about 50 km east of Garmsar city. The results of the study indicate that there is a significant relationship between the environmental components and the sustainable development of the rural areas of the studied area, which requires the special attention of the officials in this sector. It has the most importance in this region. At the end, suggestions for better planning and sustainable development are given.</p>