Development of a risk-based multi-criteria approach for watershed prioritization with consideration of soil erosion alleviation (case study of Iran)

摘要: The classification of erosion-prone areas is a pre-requisite for providing an efficient watershed management as well soil conservation. Thus, practical decision support tool required to assign priority weights different related criteria. In this article, 13 effective erosion criteria have been used prioritize sub-watersheds in Arangeh watershed, Iran. classified four groups soil, geomorphology, topography and climate categories. ranking outcomes via Modified Pacific Southwest Inter-Agency Committee method were compared with induced ordered weighted averaging (IOWA) model which considered hierarchy-based attitude risk-based (RBA) Copeland aggregation was also applied benchmark the comparison. Kendall’s Tau, nonparametric stochastic test, investigated that RBA-based IOWA fairly optimistic coefficient (α = 0.5) most conclusive because its highest correlation about 0.9. Finally, hierarchical clustering sub-catchments. According results, identified based on vulnerability erosion.