MethodsX (Dec 2023)
Application of TOPSIS method for flood susceptibility mapping using Excel and GIS
Abstract
This study elaborately manifests a simplified Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) approach that goals to determine the disparity among the distances between the positive and negative ideal solutions. MCDM methods evaluate options based on a variety of criteria by using mathematical and analytical methodologies. This promotes a more transparent and objective decision-making process by removing human biases and subjective judgements. By considering the comparative proximity to the optimal situation, TOPSIS considers the distances between the ideal and the negative-ideal alternatives. This study has concentrated on the normalization process, the appropriate determination of the ideal and the anti-ideal solution, and the metric utilized to compute the euclidean distances from the ideal best and the ideal worst. • This study expresses the simplified TOPSIS methodology as stated by Hwang and Yoon (1981). The categorization and weight assignments of the criteria have been executed from the expert's opinion and based on existing literatures. • Integration of the TOPSIS technique with GIS has been properly performed for the production of a flood susceptibility map of a highly vulnerable region and visual interpretation of the TOPSIS algorithm. • This kind of investigation saved time by sufficiently skilled specialized personnel in this field.