Spatial analysis of the settlement system of rural settlements using fuzzy logic in southeast Iran (Case study: Khash rural area)

Purpose: Locating rural settlements in order to prevent the erosion and destruction of the village due to environmental hazards or to prevent indiscriminate migration from the village to the city. The role of effective natural factors in the dispersion of rural settlements, such as slope, height, fault, geological and tectonic structure, water resources, soil, communication routes, vegetation cover, and land capability, have been taken into consideration.Method: This research is of a descriptive-analytical type, in which the fuzzy model was used to evaluate the location of villages in Khash city. Also, according to the output maps, most of the villages in the region are located in unfavorable conditions and inappropriate locations. The reason for this is the high slope of the area, the lack of proper access to the road, and the fact that another part of the area does not have access to surface and underground water because it is a desert.Results: The results of this research showed that in fuzzy logic, suitable areas are shown at 0.78%, good areas at 14.23%, average areas at 26.66%, and unsuitable areas at 58.31%.Conclusion: Natural factors in the establishment of settlements in Khash city are among the most important factors in the establishment of villages, which were discussed and analyzed using the fuzzy logic model and spatial analysis in the GIS environment.