Prioritising the sub-watersheds of the Oued El Abid basin upstream of Oum Er-Rbia using Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) and geographic information systems (GIS)

Abstract

Studying watersheds is essential for understanding their morphological and hydrological dynamics, especially those located in mountainous areas with significant elevations and steep slopes, such as the Oued El Abid, one of the secondary watersheds in the Upstream Oum Er-Rbia basin. The study area includes 45 sub-watersheds. The aim of this study is to identify their priorities based on processing their morphometric characteristics using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP). To prioritise the sub-watersheds, 18 morphometric indicators were analysed, including cadastral, geometric, and linear indicators. The (FAHP) approach enabled us to categorise these sub-watersheds according to their need for intervention. The study results revealed that 6 sub-watersheds were of high priority, 9 were of medium priority, 11 were of medium priority, and 19 sub-watersheds were of weak or very weak priority. These results confirm the benefits of using Geographic Information Systems and the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process to determine their priorities for implementing interventions, in order to protect them from risks and enhance their sustainability.