Multi-criteria Evaluation Approach Research Articles

ASSESSING THE IMPACTS OF FLOOD ON THE COMMUNITIES IN DUTSIN-MA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, KATSINA STATE, NIGERIA

Floods is one of the most disturbing environmental hazards in Dutsin Ma Local Government Area of Katsina State, Nigeria. The resulting effect is on property loss, economy and the environment. On this basis, this research was carried out to evaluate flood risk areas in Dutsin-ma local government area of Katsina State. a questionnaire survey gathered information regarding flood in the research area. geospatial approaches were used to obtain Satellite imagery of 2020 from United States Geological Survey (USGS) Google Earth platform. Multi Criteria Evaluation approach was used to develop flood risk-vulnerability map for the Dutsin-Ma. Findings from this study shows that 19% of the respondents believed that relocating people to higher grounds is the best way to mitigate the impact of flood, about 22.8% of the respondents believed that construction and maintenance of new drainages is a good option. Result for vulnerability assessment shows that Makera South, Makera North, Garhi East, Garhi West, Sakarya, Kitibawa, Gandi and Makwanta are identified as very high-risk areas. Other high-risk areas include Gidan Gamawa, Garin Mallam, Koranwaya, Wawaye, Zaki, Dage, Taka, Korafawa, Unguwan Nassarawa, Gago, Mawashi and Karki. The study recommended that Distribution of adequate relief materials and public enlightenment would assist to reduce the impact of in the study area. Result of this study can be beneficial to relevant professional bodies and agencies such as town planners, land use land cover planners, emergency, and contingency planners and the general public for control and management of flood.

Innovative Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Approach for Supplier Evaluation: Combining TLF, Fuzzy BWM, and VIKOR

When confronted with underperforming suppliers, the need to evaluate and improve supplier performance becomes apparent. However, the inherent inaccuracies in information introduce complexity, especially when subjective human judgment is involved in the supplier evaluation process. Associated with such problem, this study presents a novel methodology for supplier performance evaluation in the crumb rubber industry, integrating the Taguchi Loss Function (TLF), fuzzy Best-Worst Method (BWM), and VIKOR technique in group decision-making environment. Aimed at addressing the challenges in industries with variable supplier quality and performance, such as the crumb rubber industry in Indonesia, the methodology was empirically tested to demonstrate its practical utility. The process involved identifying evaluation criteria through literature review tailored to the needs of decision makers (DMs), applying TLF to quantify losses from supplier performance deviations, using fuzzy BWM to determine criteria weights based on the DMs judgment, and employing the VIKOR technique for comprehensive supplier ranking. The findings underscore the methodology's effectiveness in enhancing decision-making, offering a unified metric that accommodates diverse criteria and balances precise data with subjective assessments. This approach simplifies the evaluation process, particularly in situations with conflicting interests among decision-makers. Demonstrating its practical application in the crumb rubber industry, the study highlights the methodology's potential for broader industrial applicability. Future research could explore comparative analyses with other analytical methods, further establishing the methodology's robustness and adaptability in different management contexts.

Towards a spatio‐temporal multicriteria evaluation method: A suitability analysis of residential units in a 3D urban environment

AbstractSpatial multi‐criteria evaluation (MCE) techniques aid urban planning management by analyzing decision problem alternatives for solutions to help inform decision‐making. However, there is a lack of such methods that incorporate the temporal dimension, an important factor when analyzing the dynamic urban landscape and decisions surrounding its changes. A novel spatio‐temporal MCE approach is proposed that operates in three‐dimensional (3D) space and time to identify changing suitability values of decision alternatives. This space–time method is implemented to evaluate the suitability of residential units over a 15‐year period in part of downtown City of Vancouver, Canada. The results indicate that the majority of units exhibit a decrease in suitability with time due to depreciation and reduction of assets like view and privacy from the construction of new buildings. The proposed method can be used by urban planners and developers to assist in long‐term assessments of proposed development scenarios and their impact on existing urban infrastructure.

Identifying flood vulnerable and risk areas using the integration of analytical hierarchy process (AHP), GIS, and remote sensing: A case study of southern Oromia region

Many people have died, and economies have been devastated by flooding, which is one of the world's most prevalent and catastrophic natural catastrophes. As a result of human activity on the land, the flooding patterns have changed. Inadequate drainage infrastructures, as well as various activities such as deforestation, are exacerbating the flood. In Ethiopia, southern Oromia is one of the regions affected by flooding, with the West Guji and Guji zones being the most frequently flooded places. People are exploiting natural vegetation for various purposes as a result of rapid population growth, resulting in deforestation and susceptibility to natural disasters such as floods. As a result, identifying flood-prone locations in great detail is essential for effective issue-solving. Thus, the study aims to locate and map flood-prone and flood-risk regions in southern Oromia utilizing Remote Sensing, analytical hierarchy Process (AHP), and Geographic Information system (GIS). Eight flood-causing factors, such as drainage density, rainfall, elevation, slope, Topographic wetness index (TWI), soil type, distance from the river, and LULC were developed in the GIS environment, and ERDAS Imagine software was employed to make land coverage and land usage data. The weighted overlay Multi-criteria evaluation (MCE) approach was then used to construct a flood-sensitive map based on the AHP pairwise comparison of eigenvector value. To determine flood risk, population density, a vulnerable flood map, and land usage/land coverage layer were overlaid, having equal weightage. The flooding vulnerability outcome in southern Oromia indicates that 0.3% (20.53km2), 31.4% (24,986.4km2), 62% (49,310.6km2), 6.39% (5081.98km2), and 0.19% (148.866) is, very high, high, moderate, low, and very low flooding vulnerable region correspondingly. From the flood risk map, it was estimated that 2% (1587.3km2), 19.3% (15,384.4km2), 75.5% (60,071.7km2), and 3.15% (2505.3km2) of the area were endangered to very high, high, moderate, and low, flood risk levels correspondingly. As a result, the study will assist the relevant authorities in formulating development policies based on the area's existing flood danger and risk.

Assessment of Landslide Susceptibility in the Pagentan Area, Banjarnegara Regency: A Spatial Multi-Criteria Evaluation Approach

Assessment of Landslide Susceptibility in the Pagentan Area, Banjarnegara Regency: A Spatial Multi-Criteria Evaluation Approach

Multicriteria design of novel natural hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents for the extraction of perfluoroalkyl acids using COSMO-RS

In this study, a molecular modeling approach was used to identify the most effective natural hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents (HDESs) for extracting the emerging pollutants, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) from synthetic wastewater. The use of HDESs for this purpose has not been reported in the literature, making this a pioneering contribution to the field. First, an extensive literature search was conducted to generate a list of 74 non-ionic HDES constituents. In the second step, a systematic screening of natural components was conducted to identify 55 new compounds that can be used for the synthesis of HDESs. The Conductor-like Screening Model for Real Solvents (COSMO-RS) was then used to screen the 129 potential HDES constituents based on three key performance indicators: distribution ratio, selectivity, and performance index at infinite dilution compared to the predicted performance of toluene as a benchmark, as the use of molecular solvents or DESs for this purpose has never been reported in the literature. The top 20 HDES constituents with the highest extraction performance were predominantly from the terpene and terpenoid families. The median lethal dose was also used to analyze toxicity. A multicriteria evaluation approach was adopted to evaluate several properties important to liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) processes, including the extraction performance, density, vapor pressure, water solubility, and leachability of DESs. Three HDESs, namely, trioctylphosphine oxide: 2-methylbenzothiazole (1:9), trioctylphosphine oxide: menthyl acetate (1:4), and 1,8-cineole: menthyl acetate (2.5:1), showed promising results. This study provides molecular insights on extracting PFOA/PFOS from wastewater using HDESs and emphasizes the need to evaluate LLE units using multicriteria. In addition, the results may serve as a starting point for further research, including the synthesis and characterization of novel HDES constituents and the development of optimized HDESs for the extraction of PFOA/PFOS from wastewater.

Recreation Potential Assessment at Tamarix Forest Reserves: A Method Based on Multicriteria Evaluation Approach and Landscape Metrics

The purpose of this study was to develop new methods to describe outdoor recreation potential based on landscape indicators and systemic multicriteria evolution in the Tamarix forest reserves of Varamin city, a part of Iranian–Turanian forests of the Tehran province in Iran. First, in conducting a multicriteria evaluation, ecological factors that included slope, aspect, elevation, vegetation density, precipitation, temperature, and soil texture were mapped, classified, and coded according to the degree of desirability for outdoor recreation. All these maps were then intersected and the final map of recreational potential for three regions of the forest reserves was prepared. Results showed that the Shokrabad region had more recreation potential than the other two regions (Fakhrabad and Dolatabad) in terms of the sum of ecological factors potentially affecting tourism potential. Second, in conducting a landscape-based method, six of the most important indicators of the landscape that are effective in outdoor recreational potential were developed for each region. The combination of these landscape features determined the value of a place for recreational activities from a landscape perspective. The results showed that a large part of the Shokrabad region and a smaller number of places in the Fakhrabad and Dolatabad regions have high outdoor recreational potential. The area suitable for recreation in the output of the multicriteria evaluation method turned out to be greater than the area suggested by the landscape method, as more factors were examined in the multicriteria evaluation method. Of the set investigated, the topography and soil factors played an important role in the evaluation.

FACTORS INFLUENCING THE ASSESSMENT OF AIRLINE BUSINESS CONTINUITY DECISIONS IN THE CONTEXT OF EMERGENCIES

Air transport is a sector that connects the world in the most unique and safest way, creating huge value for the global economy. Airlines are a key component of this sector. Air disasters, terrorist attacks or a pandemic can bring airlines to the brink of bankruptcy. These emergencies create the need for an airline to have an emergency plan in place to ensure business continuity. Drawing on specific literature, the factors influencing the assessment of airline business continuity decisions are examined in the context of COVID-19. The study seeks to find out what the airlines’ intentions were when making strategic decisions. The study analyses the decisions taken by the airlines in order to achieve business continuity, using a systematic approach, combined with a case study approach, and systematises the factors influencing the evaluation of the decisions. The use of a multi-criteria evaluation approach allowed the solutions to be ranked according to their evaluation results.

Drone Based Inspection of Above Ground Storage Tanks. A Multi Criteria Evaluation Approach

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) is an emergent technology with the potential to drastically change the landscape of many civil and industrial activities in the near future. A promising field of application is the inspection and monitoring of industrial plants, where UAVs can be a valid alternative to traditional approaches with a better cost-effectiveness and a higher safety level. Although the disruptive innovative potential of this technology is generally recognized, a consistent methodological approach towards the evaluation of the drawbacks and benefits of employing UAVs in critical industrial operations can hardly be found in the current scientific literature. In such context, this paper proposes a framework for assessing the effectiveness of UAV technology in industrial monitoring applications within a structured multi-objective framework. In particular, the paper compares the traditional ground-based inspection services of Above Ground Storage Tank (AST) with UAV based inspection, by means of the well-known Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method considering time, cost and safety criteria. A case study is also proposed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach proposed.

Integrating GIS, deep learning, and environmental sensors for multicriteria evaluation of urban street walkability

The walkability of urban streets (WoUS) benefits public health and urban livability, but there is still no consensus on the quantitative and comprehensive evaluation of walkability. However, emerging deep-learning, sensor-network, and GIS technologies suggest the possibility of overcoming previous limitations. Therefore, this study explores a new approach for multicriteria evaluation of WoUS, including physical and perceived walkability. After capturing street-view images, traffic-flow data, and environmental-sensor data covering the streets to be analyzed, we automatically calculate physical walkability from four criteria (walkability index, street quality, traffic flow, and physical environment). We first integrate 2-dimensional analysis of walk score, noise, and light using GIS, then perform 3-dimensional composition calculations of greenery, enclosure, and relative walking width using semantic segmentation, vehicle density using multi-object tracking, and indicator weighting distributions using an analytic hierarchy process. Perceived walkability is evaluated by a hierarchy of walking needs model comprising feasibility, accessibility, safety, comfort, and pleasurability. As an empirical study, we conduct an experiment within Anonymous University for physical and perceived walkability evaluations. The results indicate that with perceived WoUS as a benchmark, the automated physical WoUS results reveal the strengths in data integration and processing that are feasible, reliable, and cost-effective. This was an initial attempt at constructing an integrated research methodology for WoUS from various walking-related variables. This framework could support designers as an assistive tool for generating both quantitative and qualitative judgments from various criteria and recommending walkable pedestrians paths to motivate people to walk further, longer, and more often, rather than providing the shortest paths based on a path-finding algorithm.

Big Data Analysis for Optimising the Decision-Making Process in Sustainable Energy Action Plans: A Multi-Criteria Evaluation Approach Applied to Sicilian Regional Recovery and Resilience Plans

Keeping the global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius, as foreseen by the Paris Agreement, requires a new global roadmap for the energy transition. For this reason, the European Commission decided to directly involve local municipalities in reaching these objectives through multilevel, bottom-up actions for sustainable energy. The Covenant of Mayors is a very concrete demonstration of this trend of development and adoption of sustainable energy action plans (SEAP), rethinking the way cities operate and bringing them closer to energy self-sufficiency, with measures favouring local economic development and improving citizens’ quality of life. The numerous RES/RUE actions included in SEAPs at the regional level have led both to the request for huge funding and to increased complexity for regional managers to identify the best projects to be financed. To manage the multitude of data (emissions, energy consumption, cost, etc.) present in the SEAPs at a regional level, a web-based platform called Lex-energetica was developed. In this context, this paper aims to present a participatory supportive framework for the decision-making process involved in financing the SEAPs’ actions, considering the selection of sustainable Renewable Energy Sources (RES) and Rational Use of Energy (RUE) technologies. This study proposes a methodology based on two macro-phases: the first phase consists of a ranking evaluation of categories of areas of intervention based on the analytic hierarchy process, while the second identifies nine criteria, according to the domains corresponding to the three pillars of sustainability, to compare the most appropriate RES/RUE actions.

The relationship between the risk of failure and the global systemic importance of banks: A multicriteria evaluation approach

Systemic risks constitute a major issue for financial stability, given the interconnectedness of financial institutions around the world. In this context, the identification of Global Systemically Important Banks (G-SIBs) is crucial, as it enables supervisors to spot potential sources of systemic risks at the global level and take mitigation actions. To this end, the Financial Stability Board (FSB), in consultation with the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS), has built a methodology to identify G-SIBs. In this research, we employ a sample of banks over the years 2013–2018 and extend the FSB/BCBS methodology through the application of an outranking multicriteria decision aiding approach, combined with extensive sensitivity analysis based on simulations with respect to the criteria weights and the sample composition. Different schemes for aggregating the simulation results are examined in terms of their robustness. Moreover, we examine the relationship between the multicriteria evaluation for the global systemic importance of banks and their risk of failure. The results reveal that systemic importance is positively associated with their probability of default, thus indicating that additional special measures should be designed and implemented for monitoring the soundness of banks that have a major role in the global financial system.

A New Aggregated Multi-Criteria Approach for Evaluation of the Autonomous Metro Systems’ Performance in the European Countries

The present study aims to create groups of symmetrical autonomous metro lines that are united by common features. An integrated six-step methodology which proposes a new aggregated approach for multi-criteria evaluation of fully autonomous metro systems was proposed. The first step determines the criteria to assess the autonomous metro system. Eight criteria connected to the safety, infrastructural and technological development of the autonomous metro system were chosen. In the second step, 20 fully autonomous metro systems in European countries were selected as alternatives. The determination of the criteria weights was performed in the third step based on objective, subjective and combined approaches. For this purpose, the Shannon Entropy method and BWM (Best Worst method) were applied. The fourth step presents the ranking of the autonomous metro system by using multi-criteria methods. Three approaches were studied: distance-based, utility-based and outranking approaches. The distance-based approach includes the TOPSIS (Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) and EDAS (Evaluation Based on Distance from Average Solution) methods; the utility-based approach includes MOORA (Multi-Objective Optimization on the Basis of Ratio Analysis) and COPRAS (COmplex PRoportional Assessment) methods; the outranking approach includes the PROMETHEE (Preference Ranking Organization METHod for Enrichment of Evaluations) method. The final ranking based on the new aggregative approach was carried out in the fifth step. Thus, Laplace’s criterion was applied to the final ranking. The Hurwitz’s criterion was used to verify the results. In the sixth step, the verification of the results was performed by applying cluster analysis. In was found that Line 1 in Paris is the best. Line 14 in Paris and Line D in Lyon were ranking in the second and third position, respectively. The autonomous metro in Brescia, Line C in Rome, and Line M2 in Lausanne were placed at the end of the ranking. Finally, four clearly formed groups of autonomous metro were proposed. The novelty of this study and its main advantage entails the elaboration of a new aggregated approach of multi-criteria methods, evaluation of the autonomous metro systems’ performance and determination for the groups of symmetrical autonomous lines in European countries.

Identifying rainwater harvesting sites using integrated GIS and a multi-criteria evaluation approach in semi-arid areas of Ethiopia

In recent years, East Africa has been suffering from severe droughts. The availability of water is crucial to socioeconomic development and ecosystem services in the region. In order to address the pressing issue of water scarcity in the Wag Himra zone, a study will identify viable rainwater harvesting (RWH) sites. Geographical Information System with a multi-criteria evaluation system was used to identify suitable RWH sites based on land use and cover, soil texture, runoff depth, slope, drainage density, and considering road and town constraints. The runoff depth was estimated using the soil conservation service curve number model, and the land use/cover image classification was undertaken using ArcGIS. By using weighted overlay analysis, sites that are potentially suitable for RWH were identified. Based on the hydrological and socioeconomic characteristics of the study area and available literature, the weight of the criteria was determined using the Analytical Hierarchical Process. The findings of the study indicate that only 0.02% of the study area is considered highly suitable, 2.59, 12.26, 61.76, and 21.1% are rated as moderately suitable, marginally suitable, less suitable, and not suitable for RWH, respectively, and 2.29% is labeled a constraint for RWH. It is possible to harvest and store rainwater in the study area to meet increasing water demand. These findings aim to assist decision-makers, planners, and managers to find sites, invest in water resources, and use RWH as an alternative water source.

Spatial dimensions of food and nutrition security in the Northern region of Ghana

This study focused on analyzing the trend of food insecurity in the Northern regions of Ghana. It applied the GIS-based Multi-Criteria Evaluation approach to the criteria of rainfall, land cover, population density, road networks, slope, market centres, potable water access, access to sanitation facilities, and disaster and conflict hotspots. The Weighted Linear Combination (WLC) technique, was used to standardize a set of criteria for each of the four dimensions of food security (availability, accessibility, utilization, and stability) into an ordinary numeric scale after which those factors were accumulated via weighted averaging to determine a composite index for all the districts within the study area. The research found that the food insecurity situation is relatively high, as 174,509 people (6.3 percent) are moderately food insecure while 25,246 people (0.9 percent) are severely food insecure. Overall, 199,755 people, representing 7.2 percent of the population were food insecure (both severely and moderately food insecure). The proportion of the food insecure population was highest in the Tamale metropolis (37.2 percent) and lowest in the Zabzugu and Tatale Sanguli districts (0 percent). A correlation analysis also revealed that the composite food security index was mainly influenced by food utilization (0.75) and stability (0.64). Also, there was no significant relationship between Food stability and the other three dimension of food security (food availability, accessibility, and utilization), implying that it did not influence domestic food production or market access due to the short-term nature of its effect.

Land Evaluation of Recreation and Ecotourism Services Using Multi-Criteria Evaluation Process

Land suitability of Recreation and Ecotourism (RE) is the process of predicting the potential use of land on the basis of its attributes. Decisions on land use have always been part of the evolution of human society. The integration of this GIS using the multicriteria decision analysis approach provides an environment to the decision-makers in citing areas using land suitability analysis procedures. The present study aims at evaluating the land use suitability for Recreation and Ecotourism development in the rural–urban in Aswan city-Egypt. This is achieved by using the GIS-based Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (GIS-MCDA) on twelve various economic, environmental and urban criteria This study was carried out within the framework of an Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) as a multi-criteria evaluation approach by integrating it with the Geographic Information System (GIS). Hence, based on the analysis and findings made in this research, finding suitable locations using the land suitability model for future recreation and ecotourism development is highly helpful. Results can be useful in the planning of public facilities and future land use planning in Aswan city.

Towards an Inclusive Walking Community—A Multi-Criteria Digital Evaluation Approach to Facilitate Accessible Journeys

Half the world’s population now lives in cities, and this figure is expected to reach 70% by 2050. To ensure future cities offer equity for multiple age groups, it is important to plan for spatially inclusive features such as pedestrian accessibility. This feature is strongly related to many emerging global challenges regarding health, an ageing population, and an inclusive society, and should be carefully considered when designing future cities to meet the mobility requirements of different groups of people, reduce reliance on cars, and encourage greater participation by all residents. Independent travel to public open spaces, particularly green spaces, is widely considered a key factor that affects human health and well-being and is considered a primary motivation for walking. At the same time, unfavourable steepness and restrictive access points to open spaces can limit accessibility and restrict the activities of older adults or people with mobility impairments. This paper introduces a novel open access proximity modelling web application, PedestrianCatch, that simulates pedestrian catchments for user-specified destinations utilising a crowd-source road network and open topographic data. Based on this tool, we offer a multi-criteria evaluation approach that considers travel speed, time, urban topography, and visualisation modes to accommodate various simulation needs for different urban scenarios. Two case studies are conducted to demonstrate the technical feasibility and flexibility using the proposed evaluation approach, and explain how new renewal strategies can be tested when designing a more inclusive neighbourhood. This evaluation tool is immediately relevant to urban designers, health planners, and disability communities, and will be increasingly relevant to the wider community as populations age, while the corresponding analysis approach has a huge potential to contribute to the pre-design and design process for developing more walkable and accessible communities for all.

Integrated energy, daylighting, comfort and environmental performance analysis of window systems in patient rooms

This study investigates the influence of window system configurations on the energy use/cost, access to daylight and view, visual comfort and environmental performance in a one-bed hospital patient room located in a temperate climate. The methodology combines dynamic energy simulations, visual comfort and daylight analysis in a life cycle assessment study of window systems, covering a wide range of environmental indicators. In this study, multi-criteria evaluation approach is used to analyse the different design alternatives. A graphical optimization method was elaborated to filter the solutions and select the most appropriate window design based on project objectives and architectural preferences. The results show that glazing with ‘0.30 < g-values≤0.50’ and ‘0.50 < Tvis < 0.75’ have lower energy use and/or cost, lower environmental impacts while maintaining sufficient daylight levels (sDA > 55%) and showing higher quality for visual comfort. These type of glazing allows for using bigger windows which leads to a higher percentage of the outside view.

Site selection for fish farming using integrated GIS-spatial multi-criteria evaluation and carrying capacity approaches: case study of M'diq bay, Morocco

Site selection for fish farming using integrated GIS-spatial multi-criteria evaluation and carrying capacity approaches: case study of M'diq bay, Morocco

An integrated approach to support a river ecological network: A case study from the Mediterranean

Riverine ecosystems are among the most impacted ecosystems worldwide since they are exposed to multiple stressors. Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) changes is the main human imprint on those ecosystems whose spatiotemporal habitat destructions pose a threat to biodiversity, ecosystem integrity and ecological processes. The most important statutory instruments for riverine ecosystem protection, conservation and restoration in the European Union are the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and the Habitats and Birds Directive (HBDs). In this study, we develop a methodological framework to spatially link the ecological integrity of river sub-basins with the protected areas therein, taking into account the influence of land use as expressed in the WFD. We combined a multi-criteria evaluation approach using six of the most frequently applied criteria for conservation evaluation to assess river basin integrity (RBI) index at the sub-basin level, and used as a proxy for functional connectivity categories. In addition, we used the distance of every sub-basin from the surrounding Natura 2000 sites as a measure of structural connectivity. Using ecological network design principles (i.e. Core areas; Corridors; Stepping Stones; Buffer areas; and Restoration areas), we incorporated the two aspects of connectivity into a framework, which links river management at the basin level with the site level assessment as dictated by the HBDs. We implemented this framework in a Mediterranean river basin located in Southern Tuscany, which is part of the Natura 2000 network. Six of the sub-basins (20%) have high functional connectivity, 14 sub-basins (47%) medium and 10 sub-basins (33%) low functional connectivity. Structural connectivity of the study area followed the same tendency as that of functional connectivity, with the majority of the sub-basins having medium connectivity (57%; 17 sub-basins), and 23% (7 sub-basins) and 20% (6 sub-basins) high and low structural connectivity respectively. As a result, six of the sub-basins were characterised as corridor areas while the majority of the sub-basins were identified as buffer areas (57%). Two sub-basins were characterised restoration areas and one as stepping stone (SS). Our approach is one of many plausible ecological networks, which although analytically simple, can be enriched with data on species and stakeholders’ involvement.