RS-based fuzzy multiattribute assessment of eco-environmental vulnerability in the source area of the Lishui River of northwest Hunan Province, China

Intrinsic uncertainties within geo-hazards affecting the source area of the Lishui River region exhibit chief challenges for environmental management and regional development. This study employs a fuzzy multiattribute approach to rank the eco-environmental vulnerability to geo-hazards for 38 given geographic units in the study area. The closeness coefficients for alternatives are applied to sort the eco-environmental vulnerability based on the distances of alternatives from the fuzzy positive-ideal and fuzzy negative-ideal solutions. The multiple attributes used in the ranking are geological characteristics, geological hazards, and human impacts. In general, results of the multiattribute method are consistent with those of a synthetic index method. Our results suggest that geological configurations/characteristics and the associated range and density of geo-hazards are the critical determinants of eco-environmental vulnerability. Human activities, however, slightly increase the overall vulnerability of geographic units. Results of the study aid preliminary resource exploitation and eco-environmental protection, yielding support for the long-term sustainable development of the region.