Ecological potential evaluation of the Kan watershed for ecotourism development using AHP and Fuzzy logic in GIS

Ecotourism is a popular aspect of tourism that gives economic value to biodiversity and allows tourists to gain knowledge about the importance of environmental conservation. The rapid and imbalanced growth of the tourism industry and the prioritization of economic benefits in the areas around Tehran have disturbed the ecosystem and led to increasing pressure on the environment. Hence, ecological potential evaluation is recommended as a practical solution. The current study aims to evaluate the ecological potential of the Kan watershed for ecotourism development using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The case study is located between the Tehran in the south, Darakeh watershed in the east, Jajrud watershed in the north, and Karaj river watershed in the west. In the first step, the effective criteria were selected based on literature review and expert interviews. Then, the criteria were weighted and prioritized using AHP. Afterwards, Fuzzy logic and Weighted Linear Combination (WLC) methods in GIS were used to zonate intensive and extensive ecotourism development. The results showed that 1.3% (273 ha) and 11.3% (2327 ha) of the Kan watershed is very suitable for intensive and extensive ecotourism development, respectively. Also 2.3% (475 ha) and 14.1% (2903 ha) of the region falls in the category suitable for intensive and extensive ecotourism development. Suitable areas for intensive ecotourism are mostly located in the southeastern part of Sulqan rural district, Keshar-e Sofla, and Keshar-e Olya villages. Potential zones of extensive ecotourism are located throughout the watershed along riparian areas and in valley floors.