Identification of suitable agricultural cultivation locations using a GIS-AHP system based in the Sirjan plain.

The assessment of groundwater quality in agricultural industry management is of particular importance. The decline in groundwater levels in plains due to overexploitation and drought creates many environmental problems. One of the most important of these problems is the unsuitability of groundwater quality and its undesirable effects on consumption. The aim of this research is to evaluate the quality of groundwater in Sirjan plain for agricultural use. In this study, the groundwater of Sirjan plain was classified based on 9 parameters: sulfate, bicarbonate, calcium, magnesium, chloride, sodium, total dissolved solids, and electrical conductivity. Then, a fuzzy method was used to homogenize each of the prepared layers. In order to prepare zoning maps, the method of average distance image was used for weighting the layers and preparing the final water quality map, the hierarchical process analysis method was used. The results showed that recent droughts, reduced rainfall, and extraction from groundwater sources have led to an increase in EC values from the standard value with an average of 575.6820 microsiemens and an increase in TDS values from the standard value with an average of 57.3891 milligrams per liter. Also, the water quality of approximately 55% of the study area is suitable for agriculture, and based on the total dissolved solids and electrical conductivity water quality diagrams, their concentration has made about 45% of the plain areas in the eastern and central parts unsuitable. In general, the results confirm the relationship between the examined elements in such a way that some of these elements have had a significant impact on groundwater quality