Application of the Analytic Hierarchy Process in the Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis of Retention Areas for Flood Risk Management

Abstract

Problems of flood risk management are inherently complex, multifaceted, and involving many decision makers with conflicting priorities. Multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA) can help to manage this complexity and decision support by combining human judgments and information in a structured decision framework. Our paper gives first a brief description of the method “Analytic Hierarchy Process” (AHP) and highlights some advantages of the AHP in the land suitability analysis and then reports about the development of a methodology by linking of Compromise Programming (CP), AHP, and GIS for the multiple criteria decision analysis of retention areas in the German part of the Elbe River flood plain. The authors describe also the development of indicators and the implementation of the methodology as an ArcGIS Extension and the AHP as a PHP web program. Keywords: Analytic Hierarchy Process, Compromise Programming, GIS, ArcGIS Extension, PHP Web Program, Land Suitability Analysis, Retention Areas, Flood Risk Management, Elbe River.