Analyzing the Resilience of Rural Settlements against Earthquakes: A Case Study of Mountainous and Plain Villages of Amol County in Iran

Due to the severe vulnerability of Iranian villages to unforeseen events, compliance with standards is especially necessary and inevitable for the construction of buildings more resistant to earthquakes. Therefore, this descriptive-analytical and field study aimed at investigating the resilience of mountainous and plain villages and reduce the possible damage caused by the earthquake in Amol County of Mazandaran province in Iran. The statistical population of the study included households living in four mountain villages and four plain villages, from which, using Cochran's formula, 270 household heads were selected as the sample size. The required data were collected through observation and structured interview methods as well as a questionnaire; in addition, a hierarchical cluster analysis model was used to measure and analyze the data. During the clustering process, the studied villages were classified into four different clusters in terms of seismic resistance. The study results showed that the single village of the first cluster and the villages of the second cluster located in the mountainous region were the most vulnerable villages, and the villages of the third cluster and the single village of the fourth cluster located in the plains had higher resistance to earthquakes, respectively.