The determination of optimal land use planning in the sample of Altinapa lake dam watershed

In this study, land suitability analysis of the Altınapa Dam Lake watershed based on geographical information systems and analytical hierarchy process, a technique used for multi-criteria decision making studies, was carried out. The determination of suitability in terms of the main five land use types, i.e. agriculture, meadow-pasture, forest, recreation and settlement an optimal land use map was produced and results were compared to the present-day land use situation.Factors used for potential zones (suitability rates) were determined. Then, each factor were counted by means of analytic hierarchy process for determining suitability rates. Acquired suitability rates and suitability coefficient were examined by means of Geographical Information System (GIS). Potential suitability maps were prepared and these maps were overlaid for suggesting optimal land use map was created.Based on optimal land use results, an area of 4,43% is suggested for agricultural activities. The area proposed for meadow-pasture lands corresponds to only about 33,32%. Forest areas constitute, however, the foremost class with the suggested value of 50,96%. An area of 2,65% and 8,73% for recreation and settlement, respectively. When data from optimal land use is compared with that in the present-day conditions, it is noticed that the proportion of agricultural areas excesses the suggested value of optimal land use, as opposed to the proportions of forest and meadow-pasture areas having smaller distributions.This implies that some agricultural areas, which are recommended to be evaluated as forest and meadow-pasture areas herein, are presently used for agricultural purposes.