Geospatial Intelligence for Peri-Urban Land-Use Conflicts: Evaluating Agricultural Suitability against Rapid Urbanisation using the Analytical Hierarchy Process and Cloud Computing

Sreerama Naik Naik S R; T K Prasad; Feba Jose Jasmine; Jayapal G

doi:10.59543/6mpcwr41

Authors

Sreerama Naik Naik S R Department of Geography, Kannur University, Kannur, India. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5047-4739 Author
T K Prasad Directorate of Census Operations, Census of India, India. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1947-3815 Author
Feba Jose Jasmine Department of Geography, Kannur University, Kannur, India. https://orcid.org/0009-0009-8145-2335 Author
Jayapal G Department of Geography, Kannur University, Kannur, India. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3770-3853 Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59543/6mpcwr41

Keywords:

Agricultural Suitability, Analytic Hierarchy Process, Multi-Criteria Assessment, Urban Expansion, Land-Use Conflict, Coastal Peri-Urban Region

Abstract

This paper presents a geospatial multi-criteria evaluation of agricultural potential in the suburban region of Bapatla using eight physical and land-use characteristics: elevation, slope, road accessibility, proximity to water bodies, Land Surface Temperature (LST), Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Land Use/Land Cover (LULC), and soil texture, processed using Google Earth Engine. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to determine the relative weights of each criterion. NDVI received the highest weight (26.33%), followed by LST, slope, and proximity to water bodies (14.96% each), while elevation received the lowest weight (4.6%) due to the region's flat terrain. Weighted overlay analysis classified the 142.25 km² study area into Suitable (108.90 km²; 76.55%), Not Suitable (32.60 km²; 22.92%), and Highly Suitable (0.75 km²; 0.53%) categories. Suitable areas are mainly distributed across the southern and peripheral agricultural zones, whereas unsuitable areas are concentrated within Bapatla Urban and its surroundings. The limited extent of highly suitable land highlights the scarcity of optimal agricultural sites. The results reveal land-use conflicts driven primarily by urbanisation rather than environmental constraints. The AHP-weighted suitability map provides an evidence-based tool for agricultural land conservation, water-resource management, and sustainable urban expansion.