GIS-based analytic hierarchy process as a multicriteria decision analysis instrument: a review

Information and communication technology, which has been incorporated and provided in the Geographic Information System (GIS), is valuable and effective geospatial information for the decision makers in improving their decisions in planning and development. The integration of this GIS using the multicriteria decision analysis approach provides an environment to the decision makers in citing areas using land suitability analysis procedures. This review paper particularly examines the GIS-based analytic hierarchy process as a multicriteria analysis/evaluation technique in land suitability analysis by means of literature reviews and surveys.     

Earth dam site selection using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP): a case study in the west of Iran

Earth dam site selection is one of the most important problems in water resources management. It depends on a set of qualitative and quantitative criteria, and they may even be in conflict with each other. This study aims to develop a multicriteria decision-making approach to locate the dam site and construct a multipurpose earth dam in Harsin City at the western part of Iran. For this purpose, firstly, the influential criteria for locating the earth dam site were determined using a comprehensive literature review and the experts’ opinions. Then, some watersheds in the surrounding areas of Iran’s Harsin City were studied and four feasible sites proposed. In the final stage, these sites, in order to construct a multipurpose earth dam, were prioritized using the analytic hierarchy process approach and the most optimal site was selected.     

Integrated model for earthquake risk assessment using neural network and analytic hierarchy process:Aceh province,Indonesia

Catastrophic natural hazards,such as earthquake,pose serious threats to properties and human lives in urban areas.Therefore,earthquake risk assessment(ERA)is indispensable in disaster management.ERA is an integration of the extent of probability and vulnerability of assets.This study develops an integrated model by using the artificial neural network–analytic hierarchy process(ANN–AHP)model for constructing the ERA map.The aim of the study is to quantify urban population risk that may be caused by impending earthquakes.The model is applied to the city of Banda Aceh in Indonesia,a seismically active zone of Aceh province frequently affected by devastating earthquakes.ANN is used for probability mapping,whereas AHP is used to assess urban vulnerability after the hazard map is created with the aid of earthquake intensity variation thematic layering.The risk map is subsequently created by combining the probability,hazard,and vulnerability maps.Then,the risk levels of various zones are obtained.The validation process reveals that the proposed model can map the earthquake probability based on historical events with an accuracy of 84%.Furthermore,results show that the central and southeastern regions of the city have moderate to very high risk classifications,whereas the other parts of the city fall under low to very low earthquake risk classifications.The findings of this research are useful for government agencies and decision makers,particularly in estimating risk dimensions in urban areas and for the future studies to project the preparedness strategies for Banda Aceh.     

Analyzing the state of development of Pune City by using multi-criteria decision analysis and analytic hierarchy process

GeoJournal - As per the United Nations Human Settlement Programme Nairobi (2011), cities are the engines of economic growth with social and cultural life and spatial organization of human society...     

基于层次分析法的盐穴储气库选址评价方法研究

随着我国盐岩地下储气库大规模兴建的开始,如何对各目标盐矿区进行储气库库址的评价和优选已成为国内储气库建设面临的首要问题。在对盐穴储气库选址的影响因素进行详细归类和分析的基础上,应用层次分析法建立盐穴储气库选址综合评价体系的目标层次结构模型,并结合专家调查法,确定了该模型中18项基本指标在整个选址评价体系中所占的权重。综合本领域专家的意见和相关的理论研究成果,提出了选址体系中各基本指标的适宜度等级划分标准,以及库址综合适宜度等级评价标准,综合各指标的权重计算结果,建立了目标库址综合建库适宜值P的计算公式,为我国盐穴储气库库址的评价和优选提供了可行方法和理论依据。将该方法应用于湖北云应盐矿的盐穴储气库库址评价中,评价结果与专家论证意见一致,表明了该方法的合理性。     

A GIS-based multi-criteria analysis model for earthquake vulnerability assessment using Choquet integral and game theory

Developing an accurate model for discharge estimation techniques of the ungauged river basin is a crucial challenge in water resource management especially in under-development regions. This article is a thorough review of the historical improvement stages of this topic to understand previous challenges that faced researchers, the shortfalls of methods and techniques, how researchers prevailed and what deficiencies still require solutions. This revision focuses on data-driven approaches and GIS-based methods that have improved the accuracy of estimation of hydrological variables, considering their advantages and disadvantages. Past studies used artificial intelligence and geo-statistical methods to forecast the runoff at ungauged river basins, and mapping the spatial distribution has been considered in this study. A recommendation for future research on the potential of a hybrid model utilizing both approaches is proposed and described.     

Solid waste management through multi-criteria decision making: using analytic hierarchy process as an assessment framework for the Hooghly district,West Bengal

Solid waste management (SWM) is a crucial service governed by urban local bodies (ULB). Hence, it is essential to identify challenges and opportunities in the SWM procedures and practices towards improved delivery of services. In this study, analytic hierarchy process (AHP) has been applied in the three sub-divisional towns of the Hooghly district, West Bengal (India), namely Chandannagar, Hooghly-Chinsurah and Serampore to analyze the existing SWM scenario. As AHP is a Multi-Criteria Decision Making tool, hence, it has been deployed by experts to come up with SWM performance index, clearly demonstrating the strengths and weaknesses of management strategies in selected study sites. This article further advances the significance of the AHP method by carving out multi-layered realities through the quantification of qualitative insights across various segments of waste management in the three towns. While interviews with waste management officials led to the formulation of key performance indicators and sub-indicators matrix, the obtained normalized weights brought to the fore the real engagement and actions executed by each of these towns in managing solid wastes. The application of this innovative AHP method ensured accuracy in the ranking system across performance of the specified ULBs. This AHP-induced situational analysis of SWM is not only significant in terms of policy formulation in the ULBs of the Hooghly district but has potentials to work at scales.

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Paleomagnetic study at a nuclear power plant site near Bakersfield, California

At the San Joaquin plant site near Bakersfield, California, the Brunhes/Matuyama reversal was identified 4 m below an ash probably correlative with the Bishop Tuff. Deposition of coarse detritus in a high-energy environment preceded the reversal, whereas a low-energy lake and back-swamp type sedimentation persisted through most of the interval, separating the reversal and the ash. Sediments below the reversal are strongly remagnetized in a normal field. Identification of the original polarity is possible only with some of the specimens, so that accurate positioning of the reversal plane required dense and multiple sampling. Similar precaution at all sites where reversals are used for time-stratigraphic correlations is recommended. Paleomagnetic investigation was particularly useful in proving the presence of unfaulted strata at least 0.5 my old, as required by safety regulations of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). This is due to the fact that any thick layer of reversely magnetized sediment is with high probability older than 0.7 my.     

GIS-based landslide susceptibility evaluation using fuzzy-AHP multi-criteria decision-making techniques in the Abha Watershed,Saudi Arabia

Landslides are natural geological disasters causing massive destructions and loss of lives, as well as severe damage to natural resources, so it is essential to delineate the area that probably will be affected by landslides. Landslide susceptibility mapping (LSM) is making increasing implications for GIS-based spatial analysis in combination with multi-criteria evaluation (MCE) methods. It is considered to be an effective tool to understand natural disasters related to mass movements and carry out an appropriate risk assessment. This study is based on an integrated approach of GIS and statistical modelling including fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP), weighted linear combination and MCE models. In the modelling process, eleven causative factors include slope aspect, slope, rainfall, geology, geomorphology, distance from lineament, distance from drainage networks, distance from the road, land use/land cover, soil erodibility and vegetation proportion were identified for landslide susceptibility mapping. These factors were identified based on the (1) literature review, (2) the expert knowledge, (3) field observation, (4) geophysical investigation, and (5) multivariate techniques. Initially, analytical hierarchy process linked with the fuzzy set theory is used in pairwise comparisons of LSM criteria for ranking purposes. Thereafter, fuzzy membership functions were carried out to determine the criteria weights used in the development of a landslide susceptibility map. These selected thematic maps were integrated using a weighted linear combination method to create the final landslide susceptibility map. Finally, a validation of the results was carried out using a sensitivity analysis based on receiver operator curves and an overlay method using the landslide inventory map. The study results show that the weighted overlay analysis method using the FAHP and eigenvector method is a reliable technique to map landslide susceptibility areas. The landslide susceptibility areas were classified into five categories, viz. very low susceptibility, low susceptibility, moderate susceptibility, high susceptibility, and very high susceptibility. The very high and high susceptibility zones account for 15.11% area coverage. The results are useful to get an impression of the sustainability of the watershed in terms of landsliding and therefore may help decision makers in future planning and mitigation of landslide impacts.     

Allocating local groundwater monitoring stations for South Korea using an analytic hierarchy process

A national groundwater-monitoring network consisting of 320 stations has been operated by the Ministry of Construction and Transportation and the Korea Water Resources Corporation since 1995. The network was established as a result of the Groundwater Act of Korea, and a supplementary local groundwater monitoring network containing 10,000 stations will be established throughout the country by the year 2011. A method of allocating stations and organizing the local monitoring network has been developed, based on the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), using pairwise comparison. Several evaluation criteria were selected for determining the required number of the monitoring stations at specific local districts. Weights of the selected criteria were assigned by the pairwise comparison, reflecting hydrogeological conditions and supported by pertinent questions to 93 groundwater experts. To evaluate appropriateness of this method, an example city, Jeonju, was selected where groundwater levels were monitored; seven stations were determined as to be required for the supplementary groundwater-monitoring network. The study demonstrated the usefulness of the AHP. The concepts of the development and the structure of the AHP model can be applied to site or well selections within a particular district.     

山岭隧道塌方风险模糊层次分析

对隧道施工塌方采用模糊层次综合评判法进行风险评估,通过收集和整理隧道塌方的资料,总结影响隧道塌方的因素,再遴选出主要的因素作为模糊层次评估方法的影响因子,然后统计分析得到各个因子与塌方发生概率、塌方量之间的隶属函数,并采用综合赋权法确定评价指标的权重,从而建立塌方风险模糊层次评估模型。该模型在青山岗隧道得到了验证,其分析结果可信。     

Seismic microzonation of a nuclear power plant site with detailed geotechnical,geophysical and site effect studies

This paper highlights the seismic microzonation carried out for a nuclear power plant site. Nuclear power plants are considered to be one of the most important and critical structures designed to withstand all natural disasters. Seismic microzonation is a process of demarcating a region into individual areas having different levels of various seismic hazards. This will help in identifying regions having high seismic hazard which is vital for engineering design and land-use planning. The main objective of this paper is to carry out the seismic microzonation of a nuclear power plant site situated in the east coast of South India, based on the spatial distribution of the hazard index value. The hazard index represents the consolidated effect of all major earthquake hazards and hazard influencing parameters. The present work will provide new directions for assessing the seismic hazards of new power plant sites in the country. Major seismic hazards considered for the evaluation of the hazard index are (1) intensity of ground shaking at bedrock, (2) site amplification, (3) liquefaction potential and (4) the predominant frequency of the earthquake motion at the surface. The intensity of ground shaking in terms of peak horizontal acceleration (PHA) was estimated for the study area using both deterministic and probabilistic approaches with logic tree methodology. The site characterization of the study area has been carried out using the multichannel analysis of surface waves test and available borehole data. One-dimensional ground response analysis was carried out at major locations within the study area for evaluating PHA and spectral accelerations at the ground surface. Based on the standard penetration test data, deterministic as well as probabilistic liquefaction hazard analysis has been carried out for the entire study area. Finally, all the major earthquake hazards estimated above, and other significant parameters representing local geology were integrated using the analytic hierarchy process and hazard index map for the study area was prepared. Maps showing the spatial variation of seismic hazards (intensity of ground shaking, liquefaction potential and predominant frequency) and hazard index are presented in this work.     

GIS-based forest fire susceptibility modeling in Pauri Garhwal,India: a comparative assessment of frequency ratio,analytic hierarchy process and fuzzy modeling techniques

This study performs a comparative evaluation of Frequency Ratio (FR), Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), and Fuzzy AHP (FAHP) modeling techniques for forest fire susceptibility mapping in Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand, India. Locations of past forest fire events reported from November 2002 to July 2019 were collected from the Uttarakhand Forest Department and Forest Survey of India and combined with the ground observations obtained from the manual survey. Then, the locations were categorized into two groups of 70% (10,500 locations) and 30% (4500 locations), randomly, for training and validation purposes, respectively. Forest fire susceptibility mapping was performed on the basis of fourteen different topographic, biological, human-induced and climatic criteria such as Digital Elevation Model, Slope, Aspect, Curvature, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Moisture Index, Topographic Wetness Index, Soil, Distance to Settlement, Distance to Road, Distance to Drainage, Rainfall, Temperature, and Wind Speed. The Receiver Operating Characteristic curve and the Area Under the Curve (AUC) were implemented for validation of the three achieved Forest Fire Susceptibility Maps. The AUC plot evaluation revealed that FAHP has a maximum prediction accuracy of 83.47%, followed by AHP (81.75%) and FR (77.21%). Thus, the map produced by FAHP exhibits the most satisfactory properties. Results and findings of this study will help in developing more efficient fire management strategies in both the open and the protected forest areas (Rajaji and Jim Corbett National Park) of the district.

     

Landslide susceptibility mapping using analytic hierarchy process and information value methods along a highway road section in Constantine,Algeria

This research work deals with the landslide susceptibility assessment using Analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and information value (IV) methods along a highway road section in Constantine region, NE Algeria. The landslide inventory map which has a total of 29 single landslide locations was created based on historical information, aerial photo interpretation, remote sensing images, and extensive field surveys. The different landslide influencing geoenvironmental factors considered for this study are lithology, slope gradient, slope aspect, distance from faults, land use, distance from streams, and geotechnical parameters. A thematic layer map is generated for every geoenvironmental factor using Geographic Information System (GIS); the lithological units and the distance from faults maps were extracted from the geological database of the region. The slope gradient, slope aspect, and distance from streams were calculated from the Digital Elevation Model (DEM). Contemporary land use map was derived from satellite images and field study. Concerning the geotechnical parameters maps, they were determined making use of the geotechnical data from laboratory tests. The analysis of the relationships between the landslide-related factors and the landslide events was then carried out in GIS environment. The AUC plot showed that the susceptibility maps had a success rate of 77 and 66% for IV and AHP models, respectively. For that purpose, the IV model is better in predicting the occurrence of landslides than AHP one. Therefore, the information value method could be used as a landslide susceptibility mapping zonation method along other sections of the A1 highway.     

GIS-based multicriteria evaluation for earthquake response: a case study of expert opinion in Vancouver,Canada

Natural Hazards - GIS-based multicriteria evaluation (MCE) provides a framework for analysing complex decision problems by quantifying variables of interest to score potential locations according...     

Problems in the application of the SSHAC probability method for assessing earthquake hazards at Swiss nuclear power plants

From 2000 to 2004 a large scale probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PEGASOS) was created and performed as a research project, sponsored by the Swiss NPP utilities to improve the assessment methodology for seismic risk in support of the plant-specific seismic PRAs. The project followed the methodology of the SSHAC [Senior Seismic Hazard Analysis Committee (SSHAC), 1997. Recommendations for Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis: Guidance on Uncertainty and Use of Experts. NU-REG/CR-6372] procedures at its most elaborate way—level 4. Before practical implementation was to occur, a detailed review was performed including validation tests and analysis of uncertainty propagation. This paper presents the main results of the review. The review revealed that current PSHA (Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis) methodology as based on logic trees, in conjunction with the SSHAC procedures, potentially leads to a significant overestimation of the seismic hazard in areas with low seismic activity due to the inherent possibilities of unconstrained accumulation of uncertainties. The preliminary results of the project did not pass any of our logical geological–scientific benchmark tests used in our attempts to perform a validation process of the PEGASOS analysis method. Some of the problems encountered are of generic nature and shall be studied carefully before making the decision of whether or not the Swiss nuclear power industry will adopt the recommended use of SSHAC-procedures as a basis for the evaluation of the seismic hazard for individual nuclear power plant seismic PRA without correction.     

运用层次分析法进行断陷油气资源评价-以松辽盆地东南隆起区为例

为研究区天然气资源的开发提供依据,采用层次分析法,选取与断陷油气资源评价密切相关的11个重要评价指标,构建层次分析图,建立油气资源综合评价模型;确定研究区4个主要断陷天然气资源开发的优先顺序为德惠断陷、梨树断陷、小合隆断陷和王府断陷。