Diseño de un indicador multicriterio para la evaluación territorial: Un estudio de caso en los Montes de María, Colombia

Abstract

The Montes de María, located between the departments of Bolívar and Sucre, have historically faced challenges that have deeply marked their development. This region has suffered the consequences of a prolonged armed conflict, inappropriate exploitation of natural resources, illegal mining, deforestation and the forced displacement of its population. In addition, it has suffered continuous state neglect, reflected in insufficient infrastructure and lack of basic services. Persistent poverty, social inequality and lack of territorial planning make it a challenge to guarantee the progress and well-being of the population. Given this panorama, it is essential to address these problems with a comprehensive approach, through multidisciplinary strategies that promote sustainable development, social equity and improve the quality of life of the inhabitants of this region. This project seeks to solve the following problem: How can we identify and evaluate the challenges in the territorial development of the Montes de María, to facilitate decision-making that promote well-being? This question guides us towards understanding how an indicator will perform as a fundamental tool to visualize and quantify key aspects of territorial development. The indicator will not only allow critical areas and priority needs to be identified in a precise and objective manner, but will also offer a deep understanding of the complexity of the territory. This understanding will be achieved thanks to the integration of mathematical and statistical tools, as well as spatial analysis. By taking these various dimensions into account, the indicator will allow the analysis of the social, environmental and economic dynamics that influence territorial development. As a result, a solid basis will be provided for making informed decisions and will allow the design of more effective strategies oriented towards the social well-being and sustainable development of the region. Addressing this problem represents a challenge, but also an opportunity to move towards a more efficient, sustainable and quality territory for all citizens of the region, based on the identification of areas for improvement and optimized planning of the territory.