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 growth of the tourism industry and the prioritization of economic benefits in the areas around Tehran have disturbed...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Resources Research |
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| Online Access: | https://ijerr.gau.ac.ir/article_6007_21f3566e722436b45471c573523caf85.pdf |
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| author | Sahar Tabibian Khadijeh Hosseini Mohammad Rezvani Iman Homayoon Nezhad |
| author_facet | Sahar Tabibian Khadijeh Hosseini Mohammad Rezvani Iman Homayoon Nezhad |
| author_sort | Sahar Tabibian |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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 growth of the tourism industry and the prioritization of economic benefits in the areas around Tehran have disturbed the principles of sustainable development and leads to increasing pressure on the environment, Hence Ecological potential evaluation is recommended as practical solution. The current study aims to evaluate the ecological potential of the Kan watershed for ecotourism development using the Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Case study is located between the city of Tehran (south), Darakeh watershed (east), Jajrud watershed (north), and Karaj river watershed (west). In the first step, the effective criteria were selected based on the literature review and expert interviews. Then, the criteria were weighted and prioritized using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. Then, Fuzzy logic and Weighted Linear Combination (WLC) method in GIS were used to zonation of intensive and extensive ecotourism development. The result showed that 1.3% (273 ha) and 11.3% (2327 ha) of the Kan watershed has very suitable potential for intensive and extensive ecotourism development. Also 2.3% (475 ha) and 14.1% (2903 ha) of the region has suitable potential for intensive and extensive ecotourism development. Suitable areas for intensive ecotourism development 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 at river boundaries and valley floors. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T01:58:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c9f27aa06d03426c97d8179c8f8b332b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2783-4832 2783-4670 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T01:58:12Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Resources Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-c9f27aa06d03426c97d8179c8f8b332b2024-02-14T08:34:28ZengGorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural ResourcesEnvironmental Resources Research2783-48322783-46702022-01-0110192210.22069/ijerr.2022.19479.13536007Ecological Potential Evaluation of the Kan Watershed for Ecotourism Development using AHP and Fuzzy Logic in GISSahar Tabibian0Khadijeh Hosseini1Mohammad Rezvani2Iman Homayoon Nezhad3Assistant Professor, Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Faculty of Engineering, Payame Noor University, Tehran, IranPh.D. Candidate of Natural Resources and Environment, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran,Associate Professor, Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Faculty of Engineering, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran,Assistant Professor, Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Payame Noor University, Zahedan, Iran, Email:homayoonnezhad@gmail.comEcotourism 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 growth of the tourism industry and the prioritization of economic benefits in the areas around Tehran have disturbed the principles of sustainable development and leads to increasing pressure on the environment, Hence Ecological potential evaluation is recommended as practical solution. The current study aims to evaluate the ecological potential of the Kan watershed for ecotourism development using the Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Case study is located between the city of Tehran (south), Darakeh watershed (east), Jajrud watershed (north), and Karaj river watershed (west). In the first step, the effective criteria were selected based on the literature review and expert interviews. Then, the criteria were weighted and prioritized using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. Then, Fuzzy logic and Weighted Linear Combination (WLC) method in GIS were used to zonation of intensive and extensive ecotourism development. The result showed that 1.3% (273 ha) and 11.3% (2327 ha) of the Kan watershed has very suitable potential for intensive and extensive ecotourism development. Also 2.3% (475 ha) and 14.1% (2903 ha) of the region has suitable potential for intensive and extensive ecotourism development. Suitable areas for intensive ecotourism development 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 at river boundaries and valley floors.https://ijerr.gau.ac.ir/article_6007_21f3566e722436b45471c573523caf85.pdfecological potential evaluationecotourismahpkan watershedgis |
| spellingShingle | Sahar Tabibian Khadijeh Hosseini Mohammad Rezvani Iman Homayoon Nezhad Ecological Potential Evaluation of the Kan Watershed for Ecotourism Development using AHP and Fuzzy Logic in GIS Environmental Resources Research ecological potential evaluation ecotourism ahp kan watershed gis |
| title | Ecological Potential Evaluation of the Kan Watershed for Ecotourism Development using AHP and Fuzzy Logic in GIS |
| title_full | Ecological Potential Evaluation of the Kan Watershed for Ecotourism Development using AHP and Fuzzy Logic in GIS |
| title_fullStr | Ecological Potential Evaluation of the Kan Watershed for Ecotourism Development using AHP and Fuzzy Logic in GIS |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ecological Potential Evaluation of the Kan Watershed for Ecotourism Development using AHP and Fuzzy Logic in GIS |
| title_short | Ecological Potential Evaluation of the Kan Watershed for Ecotourism Development using AHP and Fuzzy Logic in GIS |
| title_sort | ecological potential evaluation of the kan watershed for ecotourism development using ahp and fuzzy logic in gis |
| topic | ecological potential evaluation ecotourism ahp kan watershed gis |
| url | https://ijerr.gau.ac.ir/article_6007_21f3566e722436b45471c573523caf85.pdf |
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