Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) in selecting suitable Marine Protected Area (MPA) site in Pulo Breuh (Breuh Island), Indonesia

Abstract

Marine protected area (MPA) is one of marine management tools that effective in regulating human activities within certain area. Therefore, choosing the location for the MPA is a critical step due to the nature of this tool that is prone to cause conflict and has broad impact to local and larger community. The selection processes require many criteria to consider thus this research use Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method in Geographical Information System (GIS) to calculate MPA location. AHP has ability to simplify multidimensional criteria into single dimensional scale and GIS make is easier to analyze wide area. The research is conducted in Pulo Breuh (Breuh Island) Aceh Besar district of Aceh province, Indonesia. There are 6 components to calculate in determining MPA location for this island, the Settlement; Tourist Attraction; River; Aquaculture site; Ferry port and Fishing port, and each of this criterion is depicted into single layer of map based on the distance. The MPA needs to be close to the settlement and tourist attraction to ensure the advantages as well as far enough from the river, aquaculture site and ports. in the weighing criteria the priorities are, from highest to lowest, the settlement, aquaculture site, river, ferry port, fishing port, and tourist attraction. The result will be 3 levels of color-coded overlay map ranges from suitable, less suitable and not suitable place for MPA.