A Decision Making Approach for Water Transfer Systems by Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and GIS

This paper investigates the use of Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Geographic Information System (GIS) to find the best route for a pressurized water transmission line. When planning a water transfer project, it is essential to consider economic, environmental, social, and technical criteria. The decision-making process involves comparing various options based on different criteria. Different approaches can be employed to analyze project criteria, allowing for the integration of technical, environmental, social, and other elements. In this research, the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was utilized as a strategic decision-making method to determine the optimal route for the water transmission pipeline in southern Iran, connecting the Persian Gulf to the central provinces. To identify the best route, a questionnaire was created to gather expert opinions on the key criteria influencing the water transmission route. The criteria were then weighted based on these opinions. Subsequently, the reclassified weighted layers of these criteria were overlaid within the GIS environment to identify the most cost-effective path among the available options.