An Integrated Spatial Prioritization Framework for Sustainable Watershed Management Using Hydrological, Economic, and Social Indicators: A Case Study of the Taleghan Watershed, Iran

Effective watershed management requires spatial prioritization frameworks that simultaneously account for hydrological effectiveness, economic feasibility, and social readiness to support sustainable decision-making. However, most existing prioritization approaches rely primarily on biophysical indicators and rarely integrate socio-economic dimensions within a unified decision-making framework. This study proposes an integrated spatial prioritization framework for sustainable watershed management and applies it to the Taleghan watershed (341.4 km2) in the central Alborz Mountains, Iran. Hydrological responses were simulated using a calibrated HEC-HMS model, whereas soil erosion was estimated using a locally calibrated RUSLE model. Technical effectiveness was quantified based on reductions in peak discharge and soil erosion. At the same time, economic feasibility was evaluated through probabilistic cost–benefit analysis using Monte Carlo simulation to account for economic uncertainty. Social readiness was assessed using a validated Social Readiness Index (SRI) developed through Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The Technical Effectiveness Index (TEI), Economic Feasibility Index (EFI), and Social Readiness Index (SRI) were integrated using a hybrid Fuzzy AHP–TOPSIS approach to derive a Composite Priority Index (CPI) for 29 Hydrological Response Units (HRUs). The calibrated HEC-HMS model demonstrated satisfactory performance (NSE = 0.79–0.91), while the calibrated RUSLE model accurately reproduced observed soil erosion (R2 = 0.76; RMSE = 4.2 t ha−1 yr−1). TEI, EFI, and SRI values ranged from 0.09–0.94, 0.05–0.91, and 0.28–0.84, respectively, indicating substantial spatial heterogeneity across the watershed. The integrated prioritization classified 7.8% of the watershed as very high priority for intervention, whereas sensitivity analysis showed that approximately 65% of HRUs maintained stable priority rankings under ±20% variations in criterion weights. The findings demonstrate that integrating hydrological, economic, and social dimensions provides a more robust and implementation-oriented basis for watershed planning than conventional single-criterion approaches. Overall, the proposed framework provides a decision-support approach that may be adapted to other semi-arid mountainous watersheds following appropriate local calibration.