Assessing integrated development of rural environmental protection and socio-economy at Wenchuan County of Sichuan in China based on two multicriteria decision making methods

Integrated rural environmental and socio-economic development (IDRES) refers to the strategic vision of ecological civilization, in order to deeply anchor in the unique socio-cultural and ecological system. A delicate balance can be required to determine the natural confines of the environment and resources for optimal human-centric concepts. The guiding line can also be involved to respect the environmental thresholds and champion human-led innovations using either adaptive strategies or directly addressing developmental constraints. Various decision-making tools have been tailored for varied scenarios. Among them, the TOPSIS and VIKOR methods have presented positive performance across multiple disciplines in the field test, particularly in the specific context of IDRES, due to their better computation and objectivity. It is necessary for a full comprehensive evaluation during this time. Taking Wenchuan County in northwest Sichuan as a study area, an evaluation framework was proposed to characterize the ecological vulnerability with the strategic importance. This matrix was intricately woven into the ecological dynamics with societal implications for the high precision of game theory combination weighting. The twin prisms of TOPSIS and VIKOR were then utilized to dissect the IDRES landscape, in order to potentially catalyze the ecological renaissance. Several implications were obtained: 1) The VIKOR offered an edge over the TOPSIS, due to the intrinsic depth and inclusiveness. The overarching group objectives were harmonized with the nuances of individual challenges, thus exceptionally tailoring for the holistic IDRES evaluations. 2) The IDRES profile was clear behind the VIKOR. Spatial delineations of the villages were seamlessly connected from the northwest, and then cut through the central heartland into the southeast. By contrast, the dominant challenge of villages was pepper production in the northeastern and south-central terrains. 3) The TOPSIS presented a much more promising potential, indicating the IDRES progress on a moderate platform. Interestingly, the spatial patterns were identified in the high-performing villages, fully meeting the insights from the VIKOR. 4) The assessment also demonstrated that the VIKOR approach was better suitable for the disparities across different village evaluations. Nevertheless, the TOPSIS was possible to introduce some anomalies with the "reverse order" behavior, especially without considering the relative importance of ideal solutions. The outstanding differences between TOPSIS and VIKOR methods can greatly contribute to exemplary integrated development. 5) The individual challenges were dissected to identify the twin anchors of IDRES trajectory for ecological stewardship and villagers' self-governance. Therefore, the autonomy of villagers can serve as one of the most essential elements in the robust IDRES journey, with no emphasis on just a footnote. This exploration can be used to clarify the method preferences suitable for the subtle rural evaluations, particularly for the strategic blueprint for rural ecological revitalization. This roadmap can be expected for the empowerment and autonomy of villagers in sustainable progress.