Assessment the hazard of desertification using fuzzy TOPSIS logic in GIS environment

Subject Areas : environmental management

mohammad hassan sadeghi ravesh ¹ , Hassan Khosravi ²

1 - Associate Professor, Department of Environment, Takestan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Takestan, Iran. *(Corresponding Author)
2 - Associate Professor, Department of Reclamation of Arid and Mountainous Regions, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

Received: 2021-11-14 Accepted : 2022-04-20 Published : 2022-05-22

Keywords: Bonissone method, Fuzzy Logic, pair-wise comparisons, decision making models, Hierarchy structure,

Abstract :

Background and Objective The phenomenon of desertification is one of the serious ecological crises with extensive and long-term natural and human effects. Therefore, executive measures related to desertification control should be based on recognizing the current state of desertification of lands and its severity. On the other hand, the weakness of methods for measuring the intensity of desertification, always requires the need to provide new and quantitative methods. The need to address methods that can provide zoning based on strong logic and principles and rational theoretical foundations seems necessary in the field of desert management. Material and Methodology: In this paper, it has been tried to do so by using the Fuzzy Topsis method. In this method, after   determining and evaluating the effective indices by the fuzzy Delphi method and preparing the layer of work units, the data were fuzzy by the Chen and Huang methods. The fuzzy analysis process was performed on the data. Finally, a normalized fuzzy decision matrix was obtained, which within the framework of this matrix and by TOPSIS method, the intensity of desertification was estimated. Findings: The obtained results showed that, 9.34%, 7.71% and 12.57% of the total study area are in the very high, high and relatively high class of desertification, and Desertification with low (46.57%) and medium (23.81%) has the highest share in the study area, respectively. The quantitative value of desertification intensity for the whole region was 0.262 located in relatively medium or III class.  Discussion and Conclusion: The study showed the efficiency and ease of application of fuzzy logic in assessing the intensity of desertification. The results of this study provide the possibility of planning to minimize desertification as a result of development projects, and can create conditions where a balance between development plans and the environment is possible based on the priorities and vulnerability zoning of the study area.

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