Locating remediation and restoration operations with MCDM and AHP and ANP methods (case study: Saqezchi-Chay watershed in Namin city)

Abstract

Aim: Saqezchi-Chay watershed is important because of suitable ecological factors, high plant and animal production, and a water reservoir dam in the outlet part of this watershed. However, it is heavily used, overgrazed, and degraded. Therefore, this research aimed to locate different watershed management operations using a multi-criteria approach and compare AHP and ANP decision support methods in the geographic information system environment at the level of the Saqezchi-Chay watershed. Material & Method: The research criteria and sub-criteria include soil (depth and texture), climate (climate type and precipitation amount), land use and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), hydrological factors and soil protection (sedimentation rate, and curve number), topography (elevation, slope, and aspect), and economic and social (distance from the village, distance from the road and distance from the spring) were selected. Expert judgments for weighting were collected through a questionnaire in the field with a statistical population of 29 experts and academic staff members. Finding: The results of this research showed that the spatial prioritization of planting and pitting operations by the ANP method has a significant correlation with the AHP method at the 95% level and with an intensity of 0.937 and 0.957, respectively. Conclusion: According to the field visit and the evaluation of the success of the executive operations in the watershed, the ANP method prioritizes more accuracy and resolution due to its network nature and increasing the range of changes. Innovation: In this research, an attempt has been made to develop a new operational framework for extracting and introducing different watershed projects based on information-based methods and mapping and using the AHP and ANP frameworks by removing expert opinions (especially when the expert does not have enough experience) to choose the best project in the best place.

Keywords

• ahp
• anp
• prioritization
• seedling
• pitting
• watershed management