Multiattribute decision making for the assessment of disaster resilience in the three gorges reservoir area

Abstract

Disaster resilience assessments are critical to both urban and rural development, especially in disaster-prone regions. The Three Gorges Reservoir Area is a typical disaster-prone area, but there is a lack of research on disaster resilience in this area. We proposed a set of indicators and methodologies as a development of a comprehensive disaster resilience evaluation index system that encompasses societal, economic, natural environment, and infrastructure perspectives. Then an integrated approach, which combines 3 weight value determination methods, 6 evaluation methods, and 3 sorting methods, was developed and applied to disaster resilience assessments of 17 counties in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, from which a final ranking was obtained. The conclusions we got from the research are: (1) the overall disaster resilience in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area is relatively low; (2) the disaster resilience in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area has significant regional differences, as well as social, economic, infrastructural, and environmental resilience; and (3) the societal, economic, and natural environment resilience all have a certain correlation with disaster resilience. Finally, suggestions were given to improve the disaster resilience in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area. This study can provide a framework and method for disaster resilience assessment.