Multiple Criteria Decision Making in Environmental Risks Assessment (A Case Study in Bastam Region)

Many of environmental problems are caused by unprincipled agricultural management. Land use planning by considering different technical and environmental factors helps decreasing environmental and social costs. Land use planning in rural areas should be done by taking into account the physical and chemical soil degradation factors in addition to technical factors. In this research the evaluation of environmental risks including soil erosion risk and land vulnerability to general contamination as well as land capability for agricultural uses was done by using ImpelERO, Arenal and Cervatana models within MicroLEIS software in Bastam region in Semnan province located in north east of Iran. The analyses included soil profile and surface sample laboratorial experiments and field investigations. The evaluation was done in the approach of considering multiple criteria in prioritization of sites in terms of their risk level by using analytical hierarchy process (AHP) technique. Results of the three models were used in a hierarchical structure to arrange the three study sites according to their vulnerability and capability. This research showed that decision making on land uses by studying different criteria affecting environmental safety altogether through application of predictive models and AHP is more logical and operational. The sites of Abr, Amirieh and Qaleh were ordered according to their physical and chemical vulnerability and capability by using MicroLEIS models via AHP technique, respectively

Keywords:

AHP , environmental evaluation , MicroLEIS