Novel Disaster Risk Reduction Strategies in Historical Cities (Case Study: UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Shushtar City)

Safaeepour, Masoud; Abiyat, Mahmud

doi:10.22034/gahr.2026.578767.2702

Novel Disaster Risk Reduction Strategies in Historical Cities (Case Study: UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Shushtar City)

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Masoud Safaeepour

mahmud abiyat

Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz

10.22034/gahr.2026.578767.2702

Abstract

The vital role of tourism in the economic growth of many countries is undeniable. However, tourist destinations located in crisis-prone areas face greater vulnerability if one or more crises occur simultaneously. It is essential that these areas have specific programs and policies focused on disaster risk reduction (DRR) while ensuring the safety of both residents and tourists. This study proposes strategies for disaster risk reduction in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites registered in Shushtar City as a case study. The study used the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) within a SWOT-AHP analysis to prioritize factors through pairwise comparisons and define strategies based on expert opinions. Data was collected through a SWOT-AHP questionnaire administered to 22 tourism and crisis management experts in Khuzestan Province and Shushtar County. The results, based on expert judgment, indicate that "Implementing land use policies to improve tourism development by considering disasters" is the most important strategy. The tourist destinations of Shushtar City provided a case study for identifying disaster risk reduction strategies in tourist areas.

Keywords

Tourism

Risk

Tourist Destinations

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP)

Subjects