Evaluating the Ecologic Potential for Urban-Rural Development of Tarom’s Basin, Zanjan Province Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP)

Nowadays correct planning and comprehensive utilization of the environment is based on the recognition of talents and evaluation of the productive potential of the region.  The evaluation of the regions’ ecologic potential is the middle phase of the region planning or environmental planning process. In fact, region evaluation provides the primary information of the second phase of regional planning including choosing the most appropriate utilization of the region and the management system. In this manner, the purpose of the present study is to determine the most desired and appropriate environmental areas of Tarom’s basin located in Zanjan province with evaluating the ecologic potential for developmental application. To this end, the analytic hierarchy process analysis (AHP) and the geographical information system (GIS) was used. In the manner that after conducting the intended information layers and application of these information layers in the Arc GIS environment and after the conduction and completion of the questionnaire by the subject-related professionals, prototype and normal matrix has been completed for designating the relative weight of the layers. In the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), regarding to the relative weight of the layers which were designated after the completion of the questionnaire by the subject-related professionals and conduction of prototype and normal matrix and the results showed that the highest controlling variable is the gradient with the highest percentage of relative weight. Therefore, the region’s central parts which has the least gradient meaning acquiring 0-2 up to 8-12 percent and in the manner of vegetation includes low density fields and thinly scattered forests are the most appropriate parts for development. Finally, the determination of final weight of layers and combining the data was performed in the Idrisi software that the results of this method are as follows: about 14.36 percent of the total area acquires grade one appropriate potential, and about 10.12 percent acquires the grade two potential appropriate for urban- rural development and 75.52 percent also lacks the desired potential for such developments.