An Analysis of Rural Settlement Vulnerability to Earthquakes: A Case Study of Kordestan Province of Iran

Geographical studies in Iran have shown that spatial-locational arrangements of villages are affected by two types of factors: natural environment and ecology in the one hand, and socio-economic, political and cultural trends in the other hand. In the past, factors such as water and safety were the most prioritized factors that influenced the placement of a village and less attention were paid to natural calamities such as earthquake and land sliding. Disregard of natural hazards in the past increased the vulnerability of rural settlements. At present, policy makers believe that earthquake is more of a social issue than a natural threat. Iran stands out to be among the five most earthquake prone countries in the world. Kordestan province is located on the Sanandaj-Sirjan fault line. Studies about the conditions of rural buildings and their resilience against earthquake revealed that 98.4% of them lacked anti-earthquake facilities.