DEVELOPMENT OF A SPATIAL DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR LAND USE PLANNING IN AGRICULTURAL WATERSHEDS OF ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Spatial .decision support systems (SDSSs), an emerging interdisciplinary area, have the capabilities to express the geographic dimension of a watershed and to perform spatial analysis. The growing user-friendliness of the Operating Systems and application software has increased their popularity many folds. Many SDSS have been developed and applied all over the world to solve watershed related problems. The development of TEFASES is also a such effort to solve the landuse planning problems of agricultural watersheds in Ethiopia. The development of `TEFASES' software is based on a new methodology that integrates two different landuse planning approaches of the Agro-Ecological Zonation approach based on climatic parameters and Land Capability Classification approach based on land characteristics. The software is developed using C++ and Visual Basic, and uses Microsoft Access database with the help of ActiveX Data Object Technology. The software runs on Windows 2000 / XP operating platform on a desktop PC. While developing TEFASES, the care has been taken so that it can work with different types and combinations of available data. To improve the functionality of TEFASES, the case study of Srinika watershed has been analyzed. Srinika watershed is a small watershed and has the area of 127 sq.km. The analysis shows that the watershed is divided into 11 types of landuse units. Table 5.5 summarizes the results in case a user opts the landuse other than the suggested one with watershed management options.