Examining the Geomorphological Factors Affecting the Optimal Location of Military Bases Using Remote Sensing Data in GIS Environment (Case Study: Khalkhal Township, Ardabil Province

Pasban, AmirHesam; Abedini, Mousa

Examining the Geomorphological Factors Affecting the Optimal Location of Military Bases Using Remote Sensing Data in GIS Environment (Case Study: Khalkhal Township, Ardabil Province

Document Type : Extract article from research project

Authors

AmirHesam Pasban ¹

Mousa Abedini ²

¹ Ph.D Student, Department of Physical Geography, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran.

² Professor, Department of Physical Geography, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran.

Abstract

Background and Objective: The optimal location of military bases is one of the major challenges in the planning and development of defense infrastructure. Selecting an appropriate site for these facilities requires a thorough assessment of various environmental, strategic, and social factors to ensure security while minimizing negative impacts on natural resources and communities.
Methodology: In this study, the optimal location of military bases in Khalkhal County was determined using remote sensing data and the Analytic Network Process (ANP) model within a GIS environment. For this purpose, 12 effective variables were considered, including distance from rivers, geology, elevation, slope, slope direction, land use, vegetation cover, distance from faults, distance from roads, distance from villages, distance from cities, and soil type. The required data were extracted from various sources, such as ASTER sensor images, GLC-FCS30D database, Sentinel-2 satellite images, and geological maps. In the ANP process, criteria were initially classified into two clusters: natural and human-made, and then, pairwise comparisons were performed using Super Decisions software to determine the relative weights of the criteria. Subsequently, the initial, weighted, and final supermatrices were formed to determine the final weight of the criteria.
Results and Findings: The results indicated that areas with medium vegetation cover, slopes less than 10 degrees, brown steppe soils, and barren land are more favorable for the establishment of military bases. Furthermore, appropriate distances from faults, rivers, and human settlements were considered as key factors in decision-making. Analysis of elevation, slope, slope direction, vegetation cover, and land use maps revealed that the central and eastern regions of the county, due to their convenient access to infrastructure and stable environmental conditions, are the best options for establishing military bases.
Conclusion: The results of this study can contribute to the optimization of military base location by considering strategic, environmental, and security criteria. This would enhance the efficiency of military operations, improve crisis management, reduce infrastructure costs, and decrease vulnerability to natural disasters.

Keywords

Optimal Location

Analytic Network Process

Sentinel

Khalkhal

Subjects

Town and country planning (Spatial Organization)

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