Evaluation of Socio-Economic Components of Sustainability in Rural Areas (Case Study: Ilam Province)

Introduction
Socio‑economic sustainability, as one of the principal pillars of sustainable development, plays a crucial role in ensuring the long‑term well‑being of societies and maintaining a balance between economic growth and social equity. This concept addresses the complex interactions between economic factors—such as income generation, employment opportunities, and productivity—and social factors, including equitable resource distribution, poverty reduction, and community participation. Evaluating these components enables policymakers to design more comprehensive development programs and contributes to achieving broader sustainable development goals such as reducing inequality and improving quality of life. In many developing countries, however, rural settlements face significant challenges related to socio‑economic sustainability. Despite its systematic relationship with environmental sustainability, the socio‑economic dimension has often been overshadowed by environmental concerns and has received less independent conceptualization and scholarly attention. These two dimensions are closely linked to the instability of many rural settlements and highlight the importance of intergenerational justice. Sustainable development should address both present and future needs; therefore, ongoing deprivation—manifested in premature mortality, disease, malnutrition, illiteracy, and poverty—reflects the failure to provide equal opportunities for all members of society.
 

Methodology

The present study aims to evaluate the socio‑economic components of sustainability in rural areas. Accordingly, the research is applied in purpose and adopts a descriptive–analytical approach. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS software, employing the one‑sample t-test to assess the significance of the socio‑economic indicators. In addition, the COPRAS technique was applied to evaluate and rank rural settlements based on socio‑economic sustainability indicators. The statistical population consisted of 378 villages with more than 20 households. Using a Geographic Information System (GIS), 37 villages were selected as the study sample. A total of 250 questionnaires were completed by rural residents during the period 2019–2020. The reliability of the questionnaire was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha in SPSS, yielding a coefficient of 0.928 for both economic and social indicators, which indicates a high level of internal consistency and reliability.

Findings

The results of the one‑sample t-test indicate that socio‑economic factors significantly influence the sustainability of rural areas. Analysis of the mean values derived from questionnaire data shows that several social factors—including social participation (mean = 3.1646), social cohesion (mean = 3.1737), and social security (mean = 3.3575)—are above the average threshold and thus positively influence rural sustainability. Other variables, such as social trust and economic indicators including rural investment and the cost–income balance of rural households, fall within the average range, suggesting a moderate level of influence. However, many other indicators recorded mean values below the benchmark value of 3, indicating relatively weak performance. At a statistically significant level, the difference between the observed means and the desired benchmark for most components was evaluated as negative. Furthermore, the COPRAS multi‑criteria decision‑making model was employed to assess the socio‑economic sustainability status of the rural settlements. According to the calculated Q values, villages with higher scores demonstrate more favorable socio‑economic conditions. Based on this analysis, the studied villages were categorized into three levels: favorable, relatively favorable, and unfavorable in terms of socio‑economic sustainability.
 

Discussion and Conclusion

The findings indicate that strengthening socio‑economic sustainability in rural areas requires improving key indicators and underlying factors that enhance the social and economic capacities of rural communities. Such improvements enable rural residents to utilize natural, social, and economic resources more effectively in pursuit of sustainable development. The first research objective was to assess the status of rural settlements in the study area regarding socio‑economic sustainability. The COPRAS ranking results revealed that among the 37 villages studied, only five villages—Zarangosh, Chamab, Shahrak, Nabuwat, Kalan, and Jafarabad—exhibited relatively favorable conditions in terms of overall socio‑economic indicators. Nevertheless, the differences between these villages and the others were not substantial, and most villages fell into the relatively favorable or unfavorable categories. Overall, the results suggest that social sustainability in the study area is relatively stronger, whereas economic sustainability remains weak and below the expected level. Previous studies similarly indicate that rural areas in the country generally face challenges regarding economic sustainability. Therefore, improving key economic indicators—such as employment opportunities, production capacity, and income generation—is essential to reduce instability and establish more sustainable living conditions in rural regions. The second research objective sought to identify the most significant socio‑economic factors influencing sustainability in order to improve rural living standards and reduce rural–urban disparities. The results of the one‑sample t-test demonstrate that while several socio‑economic factors influence regional sustainability, social factors—particularly those related to social capital—exert a stronger than average effect, whereas economic factors remain comparatively weak and below the desired level.