Prioritizing Artificial Groundwater Nourishing-Flood Spreading Scenarios, Based on Analytical Network Process (ANP) (Case Study: Khoy Plain Aquifer)

Using ANP methodology, a decision-support model conducted to facilitate the prioritization of artificial nourishing-flood spreading scenarios. As a case study the Khoy plain (with limited groundwater resources) was selected. In the first phase, six scenarios were proposed based on 16 technical criteria and overlaying of GIS shape files. In the second phase, in addition to above-mentioned criteria, other effective parameters were classified into four technical, economic, social, and environmental clusters. After determining the effective connections in the decision-making network based on DEMATEL technique, SuperDecisions software was used. Based on the results of ANP ranking, scenario #3 located in the northwest of the studied area, with a normal weight of 0.175 was selected as the best scenario. The result of the first phase of this study, in which scenarios were prioritized based on AHP method, was the same for the first rank, although the order of other scenarios faced changes. This can be due to the impact of economic, social and environmental factors, as well as the limitation of internal communication in the AHP model. Network analysis has more capability than the AHP method, so complex issues can be addressed, such as the selection of susceptible areas for artificial nourishing-flood spreading.