Journal of Rescue Relief

en Investigating the Vulnerability of Mehdishahr County to Natural Hazards with a Comprehensive Risk and Crisis Management Approach Investigating the Vulnerability of Mehdishahr County to Natural Hazards with a Comprehensive Risk and Crisis Management Approach سوانح زیست محیطی Environmental disasters پژوهشي Research article INTRODUCTION: Today, natural crises have become an inseparable reality of human life, and one of the key measures to prevent the destructive consequences of natural disasters in any region is the identification and zoning of natural hazards. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to identify the factors affecting the occurrence and zoning of natural hazards within Mehdishahr county, Semnan province. METHODS: This research was conducted using a mixed method(quantitative and qualitative) and the status of risk and crisis management in Mehdishahr was examined. Data were collected from existing documents, interviews with key stakeholders (local officials, experts, and representatives of local communities), and analysis of statistical data related to past incidents. Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method, the factors under study were compared in pairs and the weight of each was calculated. FINDINGS: According to the findings, floods have the greatest impact on the riverbed and distance from it, the river parameter with 0.335 plays more than one-third of the flood risk, and land use with 0.096 has the lowest sensitivity. Also, faults with 0.370 are considered the most important and land type with 0.087 is the least important factor in causing earthquakes. Based on the results obtained from the AHP model, human factors, especially roads and paths, have the greatest impact on the occurrence of landslides, and along rivers they account for one-third of the factors affecting the occurrence of landslides. CONCLUSION: Considering the factors affecting the occurrence of natural disasters in Mehdishahr county, some preventive measures are necessary to preserve natural resources and the environment, ensure sustainable economic and social development, and reduce vulnerability, including: changing land use and respecting the privacy of rivers, preventing construction on the banks of rivers, stabilizing and stabilizing slopes, observing building regulations, and strengthening local capacities through education, empowerment, and promoting public and specialized awareness. <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;">INTRODUCTION: Today, natural crises have become an inseparable reality of human life, and one of the key measures to prevent the destructive consequences of natural disasters in any region is the identification and zoning of natural hazards. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to identify the factors affecting the occurrence and zoning of natural hazards within Mehdishahr county, Semnan province. METHODS: This research was conducted using a mixed method (quantitative and qualitative) and the status of risk and crisis management in Mehdishahr was examined. Data were collected from existing documents, interviews with key stakeholders (local officials, experts, and representatives of local communities), and analysis of statistical data related to past incidents. Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method, the factors under study were compared in pairs and the weight of each was calculated. FINDINGS: According to the findings, floods have the greatest impact on the riverbed and distance from it, the river parameter with 0.335 plays more than one-third of the flood risk, and land use with 0.096 has the lowest sensitivity. Also, faults with 0.370 are considered the most important and land type with 0.087 is the least important factor in causing earthquakes. Based on the results obtained from the AHP model, human factors, especially roads and paths, have the greatest impact on the occurrence of landslides, and along rivers they account for one-third of the factors affecting the occurrence of landslides. CONCLUSION: Considering the factors affecting the occurrence of natural disasters in Mehdishahr county, some preventive measures are necessary to preserve natural resources and the environment, ensure sustainable economic and social development, and reduce vulnerability, including: changing land use and respecting the privacy of rivers, preventing construction on the banks of rivers, stabilizing and stabilizing slopes, observing building regulations, and strengthening local capacities through education, empowerment, and promoting public and specialized awareness.</div> Crisis Management, Analytic Hierarchy Process, Sustainable Development, Mehdishahr County Crisis management, Analytic Hierarchy Process, Sustainable development, Mehdishahr County 19 28 http://jorar.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-636-4&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Aliasghar Hodaei علی اصغر هدائی hodaei.aa02@gmail.com 100319475328460013928 100319475328460013928 No Assistant Professor, Department of Rescue and Relief, Iran Helal Applied Science Higher Education Institute, Tehran, Iran استادیار موسسه آموزش عالی علمی کاربردی هلال ایران Vahid Feizi وحید فیضی vahid.feizi62@gmail.com 100319475328460013929 100319475328460013929 No Assistant Professor, PhD in Climatology, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran دکتری جغرافیای طبیعی، دانشگاه تهران Maryam Mollashahi مریم ملاشاهی maryam.mollashahi@semnan.ac.ir 100319475328460013930 100319475328460013930 Yes Assistant Professor, Department of Forestry in Arid Regions, Faculty of Desert Studies, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran استادیارگروه جنگل‌داری در مناطق خشک، دانشکده کویرشناسی، دانشگاه سمنان، سمنان، ایران Ali Khodadad علی خداداد 100319475328460013931 100319475328460013931 No Administrator of the Governorate of Mehdishahr county سرپرست فرمانداری