Abstract:
Barley, Maize, Teff, and Wheat are the most common food crops cultivated in East
Gojjam. However, the existing production supply could not satisfy demands for these
food crops in the country. As a result, effective method of assessing environmental
suitability analysis to increase the production of these crops is needed A multi-factor
spatial analysis can effectively assess the environmental suitability of an area for
Barley, Maize, Te.ff, and Wheat growing. However, there is no comprehensive spatial
MCDA of physical land suitability study in East Gojjam, yet. In an attempt to
underscore its significance, this study conducted GIS and MCDM based physical land
suitability analysis for Barley, Maize, Te.ff, and Wheat growing in East Gojjam. This
approach uses the combination of traditional MCDM and GIS technology. It involves
identifying suitability factors, hierarchical organization, standardization, rating and
ranking, and weighing the factors and finally implementing the suitability model. The
main evaluation criteria used are soil, climate, and topography. They were collected
from different government agencies and online sources. Factor ratings were
conducted through pairwise comparison of variables using experts from Amhara
region agriculture research institute. Consistency ratio calculation was performed to
insure the consistency of judgments on the pair wise rating of factors by experts using
lamda max method. The weights of factors were estimated by computing Eigen values
Jlrld Eigen vectors of experts' pairwise ratings of criteria using IDRIS and FLWOA
~ols. Different suitability maps were prepared by combining MCDA and GIS. IDRIS
and FLOWA, ArcGIS 9.3 extension tool, were used in this regard as they have the
capacity to integrate these modules. Four suitability scenarios were developed using
different standardization and combination methods. The best scenario was selected
through weight summation and electre methods using DEFINITE software. By using
the best suitability scenario method, the finally physical land suitability analyses were
conducted for all LUTs selected. The results show that about 76%, 82%, 83%, and
66% of the land in study area is suitable for Barely, Maize, Te.ff, and Wheat growing,
respectively. The results of the analyses disclosed that large area of land on the
highland plateaus and plains of East Go.if am are suitable for crop cultivation. On the
other hand, areas surrounding Mt. Choke and along the river Abay gorge are not
suitable for Barley, Te.ff, and Wheat growing. From the results it is quite evident that
GIS combined with MCDA are powerful tools for land use planning and decision
making. The result of the research can be used for land use planning of the study
Key words: Land Suitability, AHP, MCDM, GIS, Crops