Analyzing spatial disparities in the distribution of public facilities and services: A GIS-MCA assessment in Tissemsilt province, Algeria

This study assesses spatial disparities in the distribution of public facilities across the 22 municipalities of Tissemsilt, an interior province in western Algeria, for the period 2008-2020. Despite national planning efforts, interior regions continue to exhibit pronounced territorial imbalances. The study employs a robust methodological framework coupling Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) to evaluate 20 indicators across six essential sectors: education, health, trade, culture, sports, and tourism. A composite Global Index (IG) was constructed to synthesize sectoral performance, and a Spearman Rank Correlation test was applied to statistically validate the systemic nature of these disparities. The results reveal a persistent core-periphery dichotomy, where administrative centers concentrate the majority of services while peripheral and mountainous municipalities remain structurally marginalized. Although 17 out of 22 municipalities showed a relative improvement in their ranking by 2020, the strong correlation (p<0.01) between deicits in health and education confirms that inequalities are deeply structural. Beyond this case study, the proposed GIS-MCA approach offers a replicable diagnostic framework for monitoring Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at a micro-regional scale. These findings provide critical insights for policymakers in the Global South to transition from administrative-based allocation toward evidence-based territorial equity.