Suitability Assessment Constraints of Potential Aggregate Resources Using an Integrated GIS Approach

The commercial use of aggregate is ubiquitous in the construction of buildings and roads because aggregates provide strength, resistance, and support. This paper analyzes the constraints of aggregate rock use in Kurram district, Northwest Pakistan, and to demarcate aggregate resource locations using GIS techniques, weighted overlay analysis, and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The undertaken study has considered several appropriate socioeconomic and environmental factors such as land use, distance from highways, rock type, elevation, and slope to diminish conflicts between land users. These variables were mapped using the weighted overlay analysis and the AHP analysis and then ranked in order of importance. The geographical relationships between all thematic data were used to generate the final suitability map of weighted overlay analysis and AHP analysis. The enumerated results have depicted that a number of aggregate prospective areas are prevalent in the study area. The research areas have been classified as low, moderate, or highly suitable based on environmental constraints, transportation network availability, current land use, and mineral-deposit availability. Furthermore, an accuracy comparison between AHP and weighted overlay analysis revealed that AHP analysis has a very high level of precision. As a consequence, the AHP-GIS approach is highly recommended for investigating land resources and resource categorization, which assists policymakers and regional authorities in making decisions and approving quarry authorizations.