Multi-criteria evaluation (MCE) method for the management of Woodland plantations in floodplain areas

Abstract

The potential of woodland and floodplain woodland plantations in a wide area, of high flood risk, along the Spey River (Scotland) is investigated, to mitigate the floods' catastrophic impact. The spatial analysis required various datasets to be overlaid, to define the suitable sites for woodland and floodplain woodland establishment. These datasets that concern the topography, the physical and technical characteristics (existing woodland, road system, urban and rural areas, river system and open water areas, railway) and the protected sites of the study area were obtained and merged using Geographical Information System (GIS) techniques. The most suitable and unsuitable areas within the region were identified, using multi-criteria evaluation methods (Boolean approach). In total, 13 constraints were created by expressing true/false statements for each factor, and were combined together using spatial analysis tools. The results revealed the high potential of woodland and floodplain woodland plantations to prevent floods, with 59.2% of the total study area (177.5 Km2) determined to be appropriate for such practices' application. The River Dulnain tributary demonstrated the highest potential for floodplain woodland planting, followed by Rivers Avon and Fiddich, and the southwestern and northeastern Spey River parts. The methodology proposed is simple and provides rapid and accurate results at low cost, while the datasets can be easily accessed and are available in convenient type/format. This useful methodology for researchers and authorities could be applied successfully to similar watersheds, contributing significantly to flood risk mitigation and the enhancement of the flood-preventative measures' planning efficiency.