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<p>This thesis was aimed at the development of a Geographical Information System (GIS) based model to support the Rwanda Land Use and Development Master Plan. Developing sustainable land management is the main task of this master plan. Stakeholder’s involvement was of key importance. Their demands should be analysed and visualised to support discussions and the decision-making process. Spatial Multicriteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) is a proven method for land-use planning purposes. However, most land-use planning applications focus on a specific theme, such as urban development. In addition, land-use planning is often limited to a relatively small area. This thesis focused at the development of a countrywide GIS model, containing all land-uses accommodated in three main land-use categories: urban, agriculture and conservation. The GIS model was largely based on the Land-Use Conflict Identification Strategy (LUCIS) model. Many of the goals, objectives, and subobjectives that described the earlier mentioned land-use categories were adopted from the original model. However, a significant number of them were dropped, and new were created to suit the Rwandan situation. Stakeholder’s involvement was realized by assigning weights to the goals and preference maps. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used as weighting method. ESRI’s ArcGIS ModelBuilder was used to give the model shape in the GIS. Firstly, suitability maps were created of all elements in the model. The suitability maps were then transformed into preference maps by weighting them. In the next step the preference maps were collapsed in three classes: low, medium and high preference. Finally, the preference maps of the three land-use categories were combined, in order to visualize conflict areas. Ortho photos proved to be useful when acting as reference for the suitability and preference maps. Despite a large number of missing datasets, the GIS model was executed to simplify the understanding. However, many of the obtained results were unreliable because of the incompleteness of datasets, and can therefore not be used for decision-making.  Unfortunately, due to the stage of the project it was not possible to obtain weights from the stakeholders, and should therefore be done when the time is right. Right Choice DSS, a very user-friendly decision support application, was proposed to use for calculating weights. To conclude, the developed GIS model integrated countrywide land-use suitability mapping and stakeholders’ wishes that can be used for discussions and decision making.</p>

<p>There are a number of decision making problems in which Geographical Information System (GIS) has employed to organize and facilitate the procedure of analyzing the problem. These GIS-based decision problems which typically include a number of different criteria and alternatives are generally analyzed by Multicriteria Decision Analysis (MCDA).Different locations within a geographical area represent the alternatives by which the overall goal of the project is achieved. The quality of achieving the goal is evaluated by a set of criteria which should be considered in the work. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) which is a powerful method of MCDA generally can organize spatial problems and decides which alternatives are most suitable for the defined problems. However due to some intrinsic uncertainty in the method, a number of authors suggest fuzzifying the method while others are against fuzzification of the AHP.</p><p>The debate over fuzzifying AHP is going on and attempt for finding that was mostly in theory, and little, if any; practical comparison between the AHP and fuzzified AHP has done. This work presents a practical comparison of AHP and fuzzy AHP in a GIS-based problem, case study, for locating a dam in Costa Rica, considering different criteria. In order to perform the AHP and fuzzy AHP in the GIS-based problem and calculating weights of the criteria by the methods, some computer codes have written and developed in MATLAB.</p><p>The comparisons between the AHP and fuzzy AHP methods are done on result weights and on the result final maps. The comparison between the weights is repeated on different levels of uncertainty in fuzzy AHP then all the results are compared with the result of AHP method. Also this study for checking the effect of fuzzification on results is suggested Chi-Square test as a suitable tool.</p><p>Comparisons between the resulting weights of the AHP and fuzzy AHP methods show some differences between the methods. Furthermore, the Chi-Square test shows that the higher level of uncertainty in the fuzzy AHP, the greater the difference in results between the AHP and fuzzy AHP methods.</p>

This study defines the optimum route planning for Electric Transmission Lines by Multicriteria Decision Analysis which is based on Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Determination of the optimum route is performed by using both the spatial and Euclidean distances between two points located on the Earth&rsquo / s surface. The criteria needed to be taken into account to define the route of the Electrical Transmission Lines were evaluated with help of the experts who are doing this business in the available system and for this study the decision about the usage of needed data such as landuse map, landuse capability map, geology map, road map, zone plan and digital elevation models is also made with their knowledge. A Matlab code, which computes the optimum distance between two transformers by using real distance (spatial distance) method and by considering materials mentioned above is written. The results are compared with the ones found from the Euclidian distance, which is the common distance finding method in the available commercial GIS softwares. The spatial resolution effect in finding the spatial distance is also analyzed. The routes obtained by two different distance computation methods are compared with the existing route. The economical expectations in finding the optimum route are also discussed.

This thesis was aimed at the development of a Geographical Information System (GIS) based model to support the Rwanda Land Use and Development Master Plan. Developing sustainable land management is the main task of this master plan. Stakeholder’s involvement was of key importance. Their demands should be analysed and visualised to support discussions and the decision-making process. Spatial Multicriteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) is a proven method for land-use planning purposes. However, most land-use planning applications focus on a specific theme, such as urban development. In addition, land-use planning is often limited to a relatively small area. This thesis focused at the development of a countrywide GIS model, containing all land-uses accommodated in three main land-use categories: urban, agriculture and conservation. The GIS model was largely based on the Land-Use Conflict Identification Strategy (LUCIS) model. Many of the goals, objectives, and subobjectives that described the earlier mentioned land-use categories were adopted from the original model. However, a significant number of them were dropped, and new were created to suit the Rwandan situation. Stakeholder’s involvement was realized by assigning weights to the goals and preference maps. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used as weighting method. ESRI’s ArcGIS ModelBuilder was used to give the model shape in the GIS. Firstly, suitability maps were created of all elements in the model. The suitability maps were then transformed into preference maps by weighting them. In the next step the preference maps were collapsed in three classes: low, medium and high preference. Finally, the preference maps of the three land-use categories were combined, in order to visualize conflict areas. Ortho photos proved to be useful when acting as reference for the suitability and preference maps. Despite a large number of missing datasets, the GIS model was executed to simplify the understanding. However, many of the obtained results were unreliable because of the incompleteness of datasets, and can therefore not be used for decision-making.  Unfortunately, due to the stage of the project it was not possible to obtain weights from the stakeholders, and should therefore be done when the time is right. Right Choice DSS, a very user-friendly decision support application, was proposed to use for calculating weights. To conclude, the developed GIS model integrated countrywide land-use suitability mapping and stakeholders’ wishes that can be used for discussions and decision making.

There are a number of decision making problems in which Geographical Information System (GIS) has employed to organize and facilitate the procedure of analyzing the problem. These GIS-based decision problems which typically include a number of different criteria and alternatives are generally analyzed by Multicriteria Decision Analysis (MCDA).Different locations within a geographical area represent the alternatives by which the overall goal of the project is achieved. The quality of achieving the goal is evaluated by a set of criteria which should be considered in the work. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) which is a powerful method of MCDA generally can organize spatial problems and decides which alternatives are most suitable for the defined problems. However due to some intrinsic uncertainty in the method, a number of authors suggest fuzzifying the method while others are against fuzzification of the AHP. The debate over fuzzifying AHP is going on and attempt for finding that was mostly in theory, and little, if any; practical comparison between the AHP and fuzzified AHP has done. This work presents a practical comparison of AHP and fuzzy AHP in a GIS-based problem, case study, for locating a dam in Costa Rica, considering different criteria. In order to perform the AHP and fuzzy AHP in the GIS-based problem and calculating weights of the criteria by the methods, some computer codes have written and developed in MATLAB. The comparisons between the AHP and fuzzy AHP methods are done on result weights and on the result final maps. The comparison between the weights is repeated on different levels of uncertainty in fuzzy AHP then all the results are compared with the result of AHP method. Also this study for checking the effect of fuzzification on results is suggested Chi-Square test as a suitable tool. Comparisons between the resulting weights of the AHP and fuzzy AHP methods show some differences between the methods. Furthermore, the Chi-Square test shows that the higher level of uncertainty in the fuzzy AHP, the greater the difference in results between the AHP and fuzzy AHP methods.

One of the serious and growing potential problems in most large urban areas is the shortage of land for waste disposal. Although there are some efforts to reduce and recover the waste, disposal in landfills is still the most common method for waste destination. An inappropriate landfill site may have negative environmental, economic and ecological impacts. Therefore, it should be selected carefully by considering both regulations and constraints on other sources. In this study, candidate sites for an appropriate landfill area in the vicinity of Ankara are determined by using the integration of Geographic Information Systems and Multicriteria Decision Analysis. For this purpose, sixteen input map layers including topography, settlements (urban centers and villages), roads (Highway E90 and village roads), railways, airport, wetlands, infrastructures (pipelines and power lines), slope, geology, land use, floodplains, aquifers and surface water are prepared and two different MCDA methods (Simple Additive Weighting and Analytic Hierarchy Process) are implemented in GIS environment. Comparison of the maps produced by these two different methods shows that both methods yield conformable results. Field checks also confirm that the candidate sites agree well with the selected criteria.

abstract: Sinaloa, a coastal state in the northwest of Mexico, is known for irrigated conventional agriculture, and is considered one of the greatest successes of the Green Revolution. With the neoliberal reforms of the 1990s, Sinaloa farmers shifted out of conventional wheat, soy, cotton, and other commodities and into white maize, a major food staple in Mexico that is traditionally produced by millions of small-scale farmers. Sinaloa is now a major contributor to the national food supply, producing 26% of total domestic white maize production. Research on Sinaloa's maize has focused on economic and agronomic components. Little attention, however, has been given to the environmental sustainability of Sinaloa's expansion in maize. With uniquely biodiverse coastal and terrestrial ecosystems that support economic activities such as fishing and tourism, the environmental consequences of agriculture in Sinaloa are important to monitor. Agricultural sustainability assessments have largely focused on alternative agricultural approaches, or espouse alternative philosophies that are biased against conventional production. Conventional agriculture, however, provides a significant portion of the world's calories. In addition, incentives such as federal subsidies and other institutions complicate transitions to alternative modes of production. To meet the agricultural sustainability goals of food production and environmental stewardship, we must put conventional agriculture on a more sustainable path. One step toward achieving this is structuring agricultural sustainability assessments around achievable goals that encourage continual adaptations toward sustainability. I attempted this in my thesis by assessing conventional maize production in Sinaloa at the regional/state scale using network analysis and incorporating stakeholder values through a multicriteria decision analysis approach. The analysis showed that the overall sustainability of Sinaloa maize production is far from an ideal state. I made recommendations on how to improve the sustainability of maize production, and how to better monitor the sustainability of agriculture in Sinaloa. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.A. Sustainability 2011

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-02T21:42:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 EstherCosso.pdf: 1448453 bytes, checksum: 7f6b856aa66e8a64781ff52f423f1867 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-07-31 / Over time, many studies have been conducted with the aim of understanding the differences between entrepreneurial and non-entrepreneurial people and especially what leads people to have such different attitudes. However, such studies generally focus on isolated features which can be understood by constructs, without the effective capacity of developers to build profiles. Another important aspect is that most studies on entrepreneurship, for social and historical reasons, focus on male entrepreneurship only. On this last point, while there are many studies already undertaken and in progress with the aim of correcting this distortion in the study of entrepreneurship, to include and highlight the feminine side of entrepreneurship, there is still much to do. This study, therefore, has several objectives and courses of action: focus on female entrepreneurship, selecting the most important constructs of entrepreneurship from a feminine and ultimately build a successful entrepreneurial profile. That is, to build a profile in which the various constructs may relate to each other, and are organized hierarchically in terms of importance. Therefore, this study had the support of the Center for Women Entrepreneurs (NME) of the Commercial and Industrial Association of Santo André, where the study was conducted, being this a group of innovative and pioneering women in the organization of female entrepreneurship in the State of São Paul and active in the ABC Paulista. To achieve the defined objectives, this study had several phases as the initial interview, where relevant constructs were identified and contrast with the literature - bibliometric research with the aim of amalgamating the vision of NME with what has been previously published. Innovatively, it was attempted to use a technique from the family of Multicriteria Decision Analysis, PAPRIKA (Potentially all pairwise rankings of all possible alternatives), as part of the interviews and questionnaires in order to be able to organize the hierarchical relationships between constructs, which proved adequate and compatible with the original purpose. Finally, using the Paprika and the interviews, it was possible to construct a hierarchically related final profile of which are most important in successful female entrepreneur constructs, according to the vision of a group of entrepreneurial women / Ao longo do tempo, diversos estudos foram realizados com a intenção de compreender as diferenças entre pessoas empreendedoras e não empreendedoras e, especialmente, o que leva tais pessoas a terem atitudes. No entanto tais estudos geralmente focam características isoladas, que podem ser compreendidas por meio de construtos, sem a capacidade efetiva de construir perfis empreendedores. Outro aspecto importante é que a maioria dos estudos sobre o empreendedorismo, por características sociais e históricas, tem como foco o empreendedor masculino. Neste último aspecto, por mais que haja muitos estudos já realizados e em curso com o objetivo de corrigir esta distorção no estudo do empreendedorismo, ao incluir e evidenciar a parte feminina do empreendedorismo, ainda há muito a fazer. Este estudo, portanto, tem vários objetivos e cursos de ação: enfocar o empreendedorismo feminino, selecionar os construtos de empreendedorismo mais importantes sob a ótica feminina e, finalmente, construir um perfil empreendedor. Isto é, construir um perfil em que os diversos construtos se relacionam entre si e se organizam hierarquicamente em termos de importância. Para tanto, este estudo contou com o apoio do Núcleo de Mulheres Empreendedoras (NME) da Associação Comercial e Industrial de Santo André, onde o estudo foi realizado, sendo este um grupo de mulheres inovadoras e pioneiras na organização do empreendedorismo feminino no Estado de São Paulo e atuantes no ABC Paulista. Para conseguir os objetivos definidos, este estudo contou com várias fases como a entrevista inicial, onde foram identificados construtos relevantes e o contraste com a literatura - pesquisa bibliométrica com o objetivo de amalgamar a visão do NME com o que já foi previamente publicado. De forma inovadora, buscou-se utilizar uma técnica da família da Análise de Decisão Multicritério, a PAPRIKA (sigla inglesa para Ranqueamento Pareado Potencial de todas as Alternativas Possíveis), como parte das entrevistas e questionários, de modo a ser possível organizar as relações hierárquicas entre os construtos, que se mostrou adequado e compatível com o propósito original. Finalmente, utilizando-se da PAPRIKA e das entrevistas, foi possível construir um perfil final relacionado hierarquicamente de quais construtos são mais importantes no sucesso empreendedor feminino, de acordo com a visão de um grupo de mulheres empreendedoras.

Master´s thesis deals with the evaluation of the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed flood protection measures in the affected area between the low Nové Mlýny reservoir and Pohansko weir at the Dyje river. The evaluation was done using the multicriteria decision analysis. The analysis was based on hydraulic calculations using 2D hydrodynamic model.