Land Use Stratification Using Multi-Criteria Evaluation and AHP to Locate a Base for Temporary Accommodation in GIS Environment (Case Study: Central District of Faruj County)

Iran is one the countries prone to natural disasters. Situated in mountainous areas, northern districts of Khorasan Province, due to its ecological, seismological, and geological features, and also because of its unique topographical and climatic conditions, is located in high or moderate risk areas and is subject to natural disasters such as flood, earthquake, land slide, and land slip. The literature shows that several natural disasters strike in the area every year. Given the distribution and distance of rural areas, such disasters mostly threaten the rural areas rather than urban areas. The occurrence of such natural disasters in the region reveals the need for planning (crisis management) after the incident so that one can get an accommodation which is safe, secure, and socially appropriate, a place where human dignity is preserved and makes way for quick return to normal life for the people affected. We believe that to achieve such a goal, it is necessary to make plans prior to emergencies and disasters in areas prone to risk.
Given the steps in crisis management, this study tries to identify suitable locations for temporary accommodation in a disaster zone. Additionally, having incorporated proper and scientific management features into the plans, this study would assist crisis management with facilities required to identify suitable locations for temporary accommodation so that in the event of a disaster, it is possible to quickly establish camps for affected people.
The main question of this study is ‘what is the good model for selecting a site for temporary accommodation centers in rural areas in the central district of Faruj County, in a way that it can enhance the effectiveness of crisis management and fits the criteria of sustainable development?
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK : Crisis management should involve continuous measures and practices which are based on classic function of management including planning, organization, establishment, leadership, and control. In fact, crisis management is a set of theoretical concepts and practical measures in various aspects of planning for disaster during, before, and after the event. The overall task of crisis management is to handle the crisis in a very short time with the best principles and methods. Site selection model is a set of principles which makes it possible to optimize the use of services or industrial activities (points corresponding to the maximum benefit and minimum cost). Theories of site selection date back to the nineteenth century in Germany where the first theory of industrial site selection was proposed in 1878. The main purpose of assessing a location for a specific use of land is to ensure that the expansion of human activities, considering the possibilities and limitations, is compatible with the natural environment.
This study is applied in terms of aims, and descriptive-analytical in terms of research methodology. In this paper, status quo analysis and modeling of the data were used. To set up a GIS database, which consists of digitized spatial and descriptive data, we digitized the spatial data (floods, earthquakes, landslides, and physical features of the sample villages) of the central district of Faruj County using the relevant maps and ArcGIS software package and saved them together with descriptive data to make analysis possible. Then, a questionnaire was designed and completed by 30 knowledgeable professionals in the field. Finally, considering the weight of the layers in AHP model, GIS database and overlapping operations with different maps effective in site selection as well as temporary accommodation bases were determined.
Site selection criteria for land use planning are generally a set of standards by which the optimum location for a specific use is evaluated. The local characteristics and needs of residents are the main criteria for selection of the land use. Identifying and selecting the factors effective in site selection are of important steps of the study.
Factors influencing the site selection for temporary accommodation bases are: A) Environmental factors including factors effective in occurrence of earthquake, landslide, flood, and topographical features.
B) Physical facilities including access to suitable roads, rural public access, health facilities, business-service facilities, security (police stations), training-cultural centers, safety (fire stations), telecommunication facilities, suitable buildings, proximity to main residence areas, adequate infrastructure, and safe distance from danger zone.
After collecting the views and opinions, we calculated the geometric mean of the views. Using Expert Choice software package we came up with paired comparisons, hierarchies, layers’ weight and values of conflicts. As for environmental factors, the seismicity index with a weight of 0.569 and landslide with a weight of 0.228 received highest preference coefficients. Regarding indexes of facilities available in the sample villages, the indexes of access to the suitable roads, and health facilities respectively weighting 0.225 and 0.168 got highest preference coefficients in locating the temporary accommodation basis.
Having calculated the weight of the layers, in the last stage using Spatial Analysis Extension, we incorporated the layer in GIS environment, and came up with the map of total scores for different criteria; the layers were classified into four classes including totally suitable, suitable, relatively suitable, and unsuitable. The output of the above model is the map of optimum location for construction of temporary accommodation basis. That is, if they need to set up a base for temporary accommodation, the spots representing the “totally suitable areas” should receive the first priority for construction of a temporary accommodation base.
Following the theoretical principles and criteria for site selection and the importance of site selection for temporary accommodation in urban and rural areas, to ensure safety and reduce damage, and to answer the question above, having reviewed the literature, we selected a variety of environmental and physical criteria which are discussed in detail in this project. During the process of site selection for emergency accommodation in the area, we faced with the following facts and findings.
Having calculated the main indexes according to experts, we found that environmental factors had the most weight and highest priority in temporary accommodation basis. The calculated CR should be less than 0.10 and it was 0.07 in this study. The matrices based on the granted preferences are stable, and in site selection, environmental indexes should be regarded with more attention, and physical factors take the second priority and has lower importance coefficient in site selection.
Ultimately, summing up the final scores of zones where the natural conditions, safe distance from all sorts of dangers and physical facilities are taken into account, we came up with the final map of optimum site selection for temporary accommodation bases. The villages of Mayvan and Chery received the highest site selection score for the temporary accommodation basis.