The Role and Importance of Ecological, Economic, Technical and Social Criteria and Indicators to Reduce Flood Damage in Iran

Flood is a natural phenomenon of serious environmental challenges the country that many factors are involved in the event. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify, weight and prioritize effective criteria and indicators for flood damage reduction in Iran using the opinion of experts and experts in this field and faculty members in this field. In this regard, a researcher-made questionnaire to identify effective and important criteria to reduce flood damage from four ecological, economic, technical and social perspectives and entropy technique to calculate their weight and preferences technique. Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) has been used to prioritize criteria and andicators. Analyzing the findings of the study by completing 30 questionnaires, 21 indicators from ecological, economic, social and technical aspects to reduce flood damage identified that it included 7 ecological indicators, 6 economic indicators, 5 technical indicators and 3 social indicators. The results of weighting of the indicators using entropy technique showed that from the ecological point of view the landform (the elevation above sea level, slope variation and aspect) indicator with weight (0.04779), from the economic point of view, the forest and rengeland optimal management indicator with weight (0.04780), from of the technical point of view, watershed management indicator with weight (0.04774) and socially from residential density indicator (settlements, population indices) with weight (0.04768) respectively, the highest weight among the other indicators are dedicated to themselves. Also the results of the prioritization of the criteria using TOPSIS technique showed that the ecological, economic, technical and social criteria had the highest priority in the reduction of flood damage respectively. Therefore, it is suggested to pay more attention to the role and importance of ecological, economic, technical and social criteria and indicators based on thire priorities in management programin of reduction flood.