Multi-Criteria Evaluation of Irrigated Agriculture Suitability to Achieve Food Security in an Arid Environment

Amal Aldababseh, Marouane Temimi, Praveen Maghelal, Oliver Branch and Volker Wulfmeyer
Additional contact information
Amal Aldababseh: Civil Infrastructure and Environmental Engineering Department, Masdar Institute, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Masdar City, P.O. Box 54224, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirate
Marouane Temimi: Civil Infrastructure and Environmental Engineering Department, Masdar Institute, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Masdar City, P.O. Box 54224, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirate
Praveen Maghelal: Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Masdar Institute, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Masdar City, P.O. Box 54224, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirate
Oliver Branch: Institute of Physics and Meteorology, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
Volker Wulfmeyer: Institute of Physics and Meteorology, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 3, 1-33

Abstract: This research aims at assessing land suitability for large-scale agriculture using multiple spatial datasets which include climate conditions, water potential, soil capabilities, topography and land management. The study case is in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, in the UAE. The aridity of climate in the region requires accounting for non-renewable sources like desalination and treated sewage effluent (TSE) for an accurate and realistic assessment of irrigated agriculture suitability. All datasets were systematically aggregated using an analytical hierarchical process (AHP) in a GIS model. A hierarchal structure is built and pairwise comparisons matrices are used to calculate weights of the criteria. All spatial processes were integrated to model land suitability and different types of crops are considered in the analysis. Results show that jojoba and sorghum show the best capabilities to survive under the current conditions, followed by date palm, fruits and forage. Vegetables and cereals proved to be the least preferable options. Introducing desalinated water and TSE enhanced land suitability for irrigated agriculture. These findings have positive implications for national planning, the decision-making process of land alteration for agricultural use and addressing sustainable land management and food security issues.

Keywords: land suitability analysis; AHP-GIS modeling; irrigated agriculture; multi-criteria decision making; food security; sustainable; treated sewage effluent; United Arab Emirates (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

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