Optimal use of Agricultural Land in an Arid Region from Using GIS and Linear Algorithm: Al-Hasaka-SYRIA

Year 2019, Volume: 6 Issue: 3, 268 - 276, 08.12.2019

Rukea Al-hasn , Younes Idriss Othman Hammal

https://doi.org/10.30897/ijegeo.619478

Abstract

 

This research aims to evaluate the lands of Wadi
Khirbet al-Malihah area in Al-hasaka province (2016-2018) and
determine the optimal land use. A geo-pedological soil survey was initiated,
and 10 soil profiles representing the physiographic in the study area were
collected for some chemical and physical properties analysis. The land evaluation
was achieved using LAMIS (Land Management Information System) program under the
GIS platform. The evaluation was done applying map-algebra on both crops'
requirements with parametric conditions of lands and climate characteristics.
The resulting evaluation showed according to the suggested scenario (limited
irrigation water), crops with the lowest water requirements were selected:
moderate suitable S2 by 41.52%, limit suitable S3 by 28.27% of the study area.
Linear programming was used to produce the final optimal land use map according
to three criteria: costs, gross margin and water requirements. The results show
that there are diversity advantage and the land area of study that suit to be
area cropping commodities are tested with an area of 41895 ha. Land use in the Wadi
Khirbet al-Malihah achieving profitability with the optimal combination of
cropping wheat (29.579%), the lentils (22.257%) and Kinua (9.283%).

Keywords

: Optimal; land use, land evaluation, Geographic information system, Linear programming

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