Abstract
Failaka Island, located in the far east of Kuwait Bay about 20 km from the State of Kuwait’s coast, represents a focal point for regional geography and history, including natural wonders and archaeological sites dating to the Bronze, Iron, Hellenistic, Christian and Islamic periods. According to environmental data and in coordination with local authorities to develop an urban plan, the island is set to become the first tourist destination for the State of Kuwait. To achieve the Vision of Kuwait 2035, one of the planning objectives centers on Urban Planning for the Establishment of Environmental Cities that Achieve (UPEECA) environmental sustainability criteria. The article then, aims to propose the environmental urban plan for Failaka Island. Based around Environmental Analytical Hierarchical Processes (EAHP) and using the Field Calculator and ModelBuilder functions in ArcGIS, this research centers on the feasibility of carrying out an urban plan using suitability modeling that incorporates 4 factors and 13 criteria covering the island’s ecological and human composition. This study utilizes both remote sensing (Unmanned aerial vehicles UAVs for 3D imaging) and field study (ground truthing) to identify changes in land use and land cover—such as using sample analysis of the historical sites and soils for tracing evidence and creating/updating a soil map—and create the first geographic information systems (GIS) database for the island that can lead capable of generating a suitability model.
Highlights
Global urban population exceeded the rural population for the first time in human history in 2007
[1] researchers in all fields related to sustainable development—including geoheritage and urban geomorphology—should strive for urban planning based on assessment of environmental potentials that include on-site assessment and land-use suitability analyses, with the aim of identifying the most appropriate spatial pattern for the future land use in order to achieve a sense of sustainable development
This study suggests building Environmental Analytical Hierarchical process (EAHP), centered around an integrated technique utilizing the analytical hierarchical process (AHP) and geographic information systems (GIS), to support the assessment and the selection of suitable areas for urban development on Failaka Island in the state of Kuwait
Summary
Global urban population exceeded the rural population for the first time in human history in 2007. Land-use suitability analysis has been applied to the assessment of agricultural land [2], for the study and evaluation of urban services planning [3], to determine a solar farm location in the Legionowo District, Poland [4], landscape evaluation and planning [5], regional planning and environmental impact assessment [6,7], and help with deciding on optimal solar power plant locations in Kuwait [8] These types of analyses have been used to help determine land habitats for animal and plant species [9], as well as identifying potential future land use conflicts in North Central Florida [10]. Some countries adopt urban planning strategies that are incompatible with the environment, increasing environmental problems that make life difficult for the population
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
