The evaluation and ranking of rural development level Using multiple attributes decision making methods (Case study: rural districts in Sari County)

In general sense, development means improving material and spiritual levels of human society and creating the proper conditions of a healthy life for all people of a society. According to this, development includes cultural, political, social and economic aspects which incorporates qualitative and quantitative changes and yet it can be considered a relative concept from both internal and external points of view. Recognition and understading of existing differences among rural areas regarding their enjoyment of various services and facilities is an inevitable necessity in development planning at regional and macro levels. This recognition can enable decision makers and planners to discover and recognize the deprivation degree of rural districts, the distance of current conditions from determined goals, and to understand capabilities of each district, reduce regional disparities and also move towards balanced development planning of rural areas. Accordingly, evaluation and ranking of the development degree of rural areas of Sari by MADM methods are the aims of this study. The rural districts of Sari, the capital of Mazandaran province, are taken as the statistical society of this research. Sari is located in northern Iran and situated in three zones of plain, forest and mountain. It consists of fifteen rural districts. Based on Iran's administrative divisions, village is the smallest unit of administrative divisions after district. Library research and documentary method were used in data collection, and examination of books and references related to the object of study. We used data of 2006 national census of population and housing of Sari.