Land suitability evaluation using GIS and multicriteria decision analysis for cashew cultivation, Ethiopia: A systematic review

Abstract

Land selection for crops is crucial for sustainable production and economic development in tropical regions. Climate play a significant role in determining suitable areas for crop growth. Land selection for cultivation in Ethiopia is evaluated  using GIS-based multi-criteria decision analysis, combining weighted thematic layers of soil, climate, topography, and socioeconomic factors to classify land into  four suitability classes. A systematic literature review was conducted using studies  conducted primarily in Ethiopia detail a consistent approach for evaluating land suitability that readily extends to crop cultivation in the Abaya-Chamo watershed.  All studies prepare layered data on soil, climate, topography, socio-economic factors, and current land use. Nine of ten relied on Geographic Information Systems  to integrate this information, and five employed the Analytical Hierarchy Process  to weight selected criteria. The common procedure involved: (1) Prepared thematic layers from sources such as Landsat imagery, digital elevation models, and  soil surveys. (2) Combined these layers through spatial overlay techniques (including weighted overlays) to classify land into four suitability classes from highly (or  optimally) suitable to not suitable. (3) Employed expert judgment and literature  review to select relevant criteria for the target crop or agricultural use. The specific  crop foci ranged from rice and wheat to sesame and agroforestry systems, the integration of numeric and categorical criteria using GIS-based multi-criteria decision  analysis provides a replicable framework. The methods described by the studies support the application of these procedures to assess land suitability for crop cultivation in a watershed, relying on consistent quantitative criteria and mapping  techniques.