Using multi-criteria decision making in developing a decision support system for land suitability with regard to natural resource management.
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Date
2000
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Abstract
This research explores decision making in land suitability with regard to natural resource
management, as it is practised in South Africa and internationally. The complexity of the
problem leads to the need to use stakeholder analysis and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis
which are researched further in the dissertation. A framework for decision making on land
suitability is suggested. It is applied experimentally in several case studies on decision making
in land suitability with regard to natural resource management. A land suitability analysis
provides a typical scenario whereby a hard factual approach such as a GIS with data on soils,
climate, rainfall, topography, ecosystems, etc. is combined with socio-economic activities such
as agriculture, forestry and nature conservation. Most land suitability analysis is carried out with
the aid ofa GIS. However, a GIS is limited to largely objective, spatial data. It is here that multicriteria
decision analysis plays an important role by combining the different stakeholder
perspectives with socio-economic and scientific data in a comprehensive Decision Support
System. In this research, the Analytic Hierarchy Process is used to produce an experimental
model on decision making in land suitability and this model is then tested against real life case
studies which proves the model to be a valid decision making technique.
Description
Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2000.
Keywords
Land use--South Africa., Land use--South Africa--Planning., Land use--South Africa--Management., Land use--Decision making., Land use--Environmental aspects., Theses--Environmental science.