GIS and Processing data with SIMUS | Nolberto Munier

 Nolberto Munier | GIS and Processing data with SIMUS

Review Article

This is a case with a real structure from a road project in Africa, but with data changed for confidentially reasons. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how a powerful tool such as the Geographic Information System (GIS), may be used jointly with a Multi Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) method. This problem is addressed using both methodologies in two different and sequential steps, when the first precedes the second. Thus, GIS produces information regarding consideration spatial interrelations of all features considered. The MCDM uses that information aiming at the selection of the best alternative. In this case, GIS provides spatial information on a certain area combining about 15 different themes involving environment, social and natural features such as villages, rivers, forests, swamps, etc. Four potential paths where detected, subject to these mentioned features, and then, the selection of the ‘best’ path was implemented by a MCDM method. To analyze robustness of the result, a sensitivity analysis was also performed.

Nolberto Munier articles from Iris Publishers

The purpose of this paper is to show how spatial data obtained by GIS (Geographic Information System), can be used in MCDM (Multi Criteria Decision-Making) problems. Therefore, two technologies were used; GIS to analyze interaction between the different characteristics or themes in an area, and from them, a MCDM method to select the most appropriate use of land regarding a project. It is assumed that the reader has some knowledge of GIS, which in path road selection is used as a research strategy, to determine the potential sets of paths. We are no detailing in this work the GIS structure or its workings but looking for the interaction between GIS and a MCDM method, especially in the determination of a path for a highway. Both methodologies work in a very close link in determining the most convenient path for a route. There is a good deal of papers about the uses of GIS and MCDM methods working together, especially on land use, but very few related to determination of a path, when the terrain is occupied by different and varied land use, that constitute restrictions or impedances for building a road, such as population, farms, protected areas, etc. Normally, not all layers or themes have the same significance, and thus, it is common in this type of analysis to make a subjective estimate of their importance. The problem is its inaccuracy and the dependency on the person doing the appraisal, and which may conduct to false results. Some methods such as Arc GIS use the criteria weights from the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) [1], a well-known MCDM method, other use an algebraic analysis, and others estimate weights by experts, however, all of them are subjective, and because of that debatable and uncertain. In this work we use no weights, therefore, no subjectivity is present. This is the main difference with the above-mentioned procedure, and as far as this author knowledge never addressed before. We use here the SIMUS method (Sequential Interactive Modeling in Urban Systems) [2],

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