An Analysis of the Urban Resilience Capacity of Rudsar County in Facing Natural Disasters

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant Professor of the Department of Urban Planning, Faculty of Architecture and Art, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

2 M.A. student in Urban Planning, Faculty of Architecture and Art, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran.

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the resilience of Rudsar County against natural disasters, focusing on five dimensions: social, economic, institutional, infrastructural, and urban planning/management. The research employed a descriptive-analytical method, collecting data via a questionnaire distributed among 380 citizens. Data were evaluated using SPSS software and analyzed with Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). DEM maps, seismic hazard maps and Map of watersheds were also used for spatial analysis and identifying natural hazards. Findings reveal severe inequality among the different resilience dimensions. Based on regression analysis, the institutional dimension, with a coefficient of 0.696, was the most influential factor. The Friedman test identified the infrastructural dimension (mean rank 3.98) as the most important and the economic dimension (mean rank 2.09) as the weakest. Spearman’s correlation analysis revealed a strong, significant relationship (0.564) between the institutional and infrastructural dimensions. Conversely, the social and economic dimensions, with low means (2.91 and 2.74 respectively) and weak indicators like “voluntary participation” and “efficiency of economic measures,” were identified as key factors increasing vulnerability. The PLS-SEM results confirmed the significant impact of all dimensions and showed that the economic dimension (path coefficient 0.405) had the strongest effect size. Therefore, achieving better resilience in Rudsar County requires an integrated approach, prioritizing institutional and infrastructural strengthening first, with socio-economic empowerment as a subsequent necessity.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Geography and Environmental Sustainability

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 08 December 2025

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