Objective spatial analytic hierarchy process for identification of potential agroforestry areas

Abstract

The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is a structured technique for dealing with complex decisions. In this paper, we propose a new AHP technique using Geographic Information System (GIS) termed as “Objective Spatial Analytic Hierarchy Process (OSAHP)” for identification of potential agroforestry areas by integrating spatial data with ground survey data. The developed OSAHP technique is objective in nature as it is based on sound statistical techniques. This technique is used to categorize all the villages of Yamunanagar district of Haryana State into three classes i.e. High, Moderate and Low potential for agroforestry so that farmers of the district can be advised to adopt/grow agroforestry in the villages that are highly potential or even moderately potential for agroforestry.