Sustainable Land Use of Coastal Areas. Case Study of Samandag Coastal Zone

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine sustainable land use planning of Samandag coastal zone using multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA) which contains both ecological and social economic factors. The three specific objectives were: (a) to create ecological maps (slope, aspect, elevation, geology, hydrology, soil structure, meteorological factors, and biotic factors), (b) to create potential land use map and (c) to create sustainable map. On account of a detailed inventory of site, potential land uses were defined as agriculture, settlement, forest, protected area, and recreational area. As a result of the study, potential suitability map was created using MCDA. According to the potential suitability map, 51.34% of land are suitable for agriculture, 10.24% of land for settlement, 31.49% for forest, 0.33% for protected area, and 6.59% for recreational activities.