Sustainability Analysis of Rural Settlements in the Western Region of Lake Urmia

Abstract

Today, the extent and complexity of human-natural environment interactions, young lands, environmental instabilities of settlements with more frequency and intensity than before and are serious. What is the environmental sustainability of rural settlements according to the morphotectonic variables of the region? What factors affect sustainability of rural settlements the region? No report has been submitted in this research area. Fuzzy multivariate spatial analysis and Data ISO and geomorphic indices such as W, SL, Hi, Ar and SMF and Iat index were used to assess stability. Topographic data, earthquakes, fault systems, geology, geomorphology, morphostructure were analyzed and morphotectonic zones of the region were determined. The results of this study show that in the study area there is a Horst and Graben system with east-west trend which is formed by a system of faults parallel to the north-south trend. 4 different morphotectonic patterns (A, B, C, D) were identified with different characteristics and coefficients of morphotechnical stability in the research area. According to the results of the analysis of the Iat index, 57% of the settlements in the region are located in zone A, which is morphotectonically stable. 23.5% of the settlements are located in zone C with high instability and the settlements of zone B 16% and in zone D 4.9% with different coefficients show more severe and severe morphotectonic instability, respectively. The results show that the main cause of environmental instability in the western region of Lake Urmia is due to the active fault system of the region.