Evaluating Urban SDI of Ahvaz using Readiness Index Model

Collecting, managing and analyzing the required data is a basic precondition in the field of macro and integrated urban management. Today, this operation is feasible in the form of SDI, the evaluation and identification of its implementation platforms is one of its key issues. The purpose of this study is to identify the limiting factors for the creation and establishment of urban spatial information infrastructure in Ahvaz, based on the basic fuzzy model of the readiness index. The research data was collected in a survey and then analyzed in a spatial information infrastructure readiness model. Therefore, Ahwaz urban spatial information infrastructure has been evaluated in five organizational factors, human resources, information, technology and finance, and in the form of 16 decision criteria. In the first step of the research, the required data were extracted from questionnaires completed by experts and specialists familiar with SDI and GIS, from government centers and the private sector in Ahvaz. In the next step and after data collection, the values of general indicators and five factors were calculated based on the model used in the research. The general findings of the study showed that the readiness index of Ahwaz urban spatial information infrastructure is equal to 0.47. Evaluation of the studied factors of the model showed that the organizational factor is the most important limiting factor in the development of SDI infrastructure in Ahvaz and among the criteria, the highest and lowest scores have access to location-based software and individual leadership, respectively. In total, according to the results of this study, 44% of the 16 decision-making criteria (including 7 criteria) were below the average (50%), which acted as the main limiting factor in the development of Ahwaz urban location information infrastructure. Also, based on the results of this study, it seems that in the development of urban SDI in Ahvaz, non-technical factors can be more effective as a limiting factor than technical issues.