3.9.2.

Multi-criteria decision Making (AHP-weight)

WEIGHT is used to develop a set of relative weights for a group of factors in a multi-criteria
evaluation. The weights are developed by providing a series of pair-wise comparisons of the
relative importance of factors to the suitability of pixels for the activity being evaluated. These
pair-wise comparisons are then analyzed to produce a set of weights that sum to 1. A Pairwise
Comparison file stores information used by WEIGHT to develop a set of weights for the criteria
used in a multi-criteria evaluation. These weights in turn are used as input to the module MCE
(Multi-Criteria Evaluation). AHP is one of the multiple criteria decision-making methods that
were originally developed by ((Kousalya et al., 2012). AHP is used to provide measures of
judgments consistency, derives priorities among criteria and alternatives, and simplifies
preference ratings among decision criteria using pairwise comparisons. Consistency plays a vital
role in AHP. It accepts some small Inconsistency in decisions (i.e. < 10%). There are vital
methods to develop the Consistency Ratio of the comparison matrix to an acceptable range. A
pairwise comparison matrix A is said to be positive reciprocal if aij=1, aij>0, and aij=1/ aij 5X5
positive reciprocal matrix of pairwise comparisons.

Table 8: Positive Reciprocal Matrix Pairwise.

CI
The pairwise comparison matrix will pass the consistency test if the CR=¿ ¿0.1𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒
RI
λma−1
CI = RI is the average random index that depends on matrix order, λmax is the highest
n−1
Eigenvalue of matrix A, and n is the size of matrix A (Eastman, 2003). Saaty’s pairwise
comparison scale.

This is confirmed with saaty’s study which states random consistency index.

Table 9: Saaty’s Random consistency index

Maximum Eigenvalue of n x n reciprocal Pairwise comparison matrix. Saaty proposed

 that the comparison matrix is consistent if λmax = n. If the Consistency Ratio is > 0.1 the
decision-maker has to revise his decisions. (V. Shyam Prasad, 2017).

3.9.3. Overlay analysis

There are two methods for performing overlay analysis i.e. features overlay (overlaying points,
lines, or polygons) and raster overlay. Overlay analysis to find locations meeting certain criteria
is often best done using raster overlay. There two types of raster overlay commonly used are
Weight overlay and Boolean (Fuzzy) overlay. Boolean overlay of binary thematic layers offers a
simple and quick approach to a suitability analysis with GIS. However, for many applications,
the division of reality into two categories ("true" and "false") is an inadequate representation of
reality. First, with Boolean analysis, all influencing factors are of equal importance, by
definition. However, most often criteria are not equally influencing the decision. This principle
of assigning weights to influence factors is used for suitability analysis in GIS as well. This
approach is called a weighted overlay. The Weighted Overlay tool applies one of the most used
approaches for overlay analysis to solve multi-criteria problems such as site selection and
suitability models. In a weighted overlay analysis, each of the general overlay analysis steps is
followed. The tool combines the following steps: first steps Reclassifies values in the input raster
into a common evaluation scale of suitability or preference, risk, or some similarly unifying
scale, second Multiplies the cell values of each input raster by the raster's weight of importance
and third Adds the resulting cell values together to produce the output raster. In the Weighted
Overlay tool, the weights assigned to the input rosters must equal 100 percent. The layers are
multiplied by the appropriate multiplier, and for each cell, the resulting values are added
together. Weighted Overlay assumes that more favorable factors result in the higher values in the
output raster, therefore identifying these locations as being the best (Arcgis 10.5, Help).
Generally, to select the best location the general overlay analysis steps which are most
commonly used in suitability modeling are Define the problem, Break the problem into
submodels, Determine significant layers, Reclassify or transform the data within a layer, Weight
the input layers, Add or combine the layers, select the best locations and Analyze.