Analysis of the Level of Environmental Development in the Rural Areas of Sistan with an Emphasis on Quranic Indices

Purpose: The environment is a divine favor whose protection can have a positive effect on lives of humans and other creatures. A look at the verses of the Quran and the life style of the Prophet’s family (PBUT) make it clear that no school like Islam has attached such a great importance to nature and the environment. Accordingly, using Quranic indices, in this study we have aimed to analyze the level of environmental development in rural areas of Sistan. Design/methodology/approach- The population of the study is the people in the rural areas of Sistan. To determine the sample population using Sharpe formula, 40 villages (with 51663 households) out of 796 villages in Sistan region were selected, and 381 heads of households were randomly selected according to Cochran formula. For data analysis, Kruskal-Wallis statistical method in SPSS was used, and then Topsis was employed to weigh and determine the degree of development of the villages. Findings: The evaluation showed that level of environmental development in rural areas is less than .01% percent significant. Out of 9 environmental indices, the index of optimal utilization of water, with a mean of 4.29 ranked first. Practical implications- According to the research results, coherent planning for the revival of the genuine Islamic culture and development of religious teachings about the role and significance of nature, the realization of God's real ownership of all national resources, optimal utilization of natural resources, prevention of corruption in the environment, and appropriate utilization of forests and rangelands, especially national resources, is a strategy that can lead our society to sensible utilization of natural resources.