Ranking of sectors in organized industrial zones according to Natech risk criteria: An application for Gaziantep province in Türkiye

Technological accidents triggered by natural disasters are called Natech accidents. Natech accidents have the impact of increasing the negative effects of disasters. One of the places at risk for a Natech accident is the Organized Industrial Zones (OIZs), where many industrial establishments are located. Although businesses within OIZs are evaluated in terms of security, Natech risk assessment is often ignored. This situation causes Natech accidents to occur. For these reasons, the study focused on evaluating OIZs regarding Natech risk. Many criteria such as electrical resources, natural gas, distance between buildings and so forth are taken into account in Natech's risk assessment. However, it is challenging to make clear decisions and predictions about these criteria due to the nature of the disaster. There is inherently uncertainty and confusion during and after a disaster. For this reason, using fuzzy sets to evaluate criteria is more appropriate. Therefore, the study uses Pythagorean fuzzy sets, which have a wider fuzzy evaluation area. This study also includes the evaluation of alternative sectors in terms of Natech risk. For this purpose, Pythagorean Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (PFAHP) and Pythagorean Fuzzy the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (PFTOPSIS) methods are used. OIZ in Gaziantep has the largest area compared to those in other cities in Türkiye, is chosen as the application area of the study. As a result of the study, it is determined that the release of hazardous substances and flammable criteria is the most crucial criterion, and the most dangerous sector in terms of Natech risk is the chemical sector. •The weights of Natech criteria are determined using the Pythagorean fuzzy method.•Sector ranking according to Natech criteria is evaluated in a fuzzy environment.•Natech criteria are evaluated for the first time in the Organized Industrial Zone.•Natech risk assessment is made in Organized Industrial Zone in Türkiye.•This study is the first study to Natech in fuzzy environment.