Optimizing Aggregate Resource Suitability: A GIS-Based Approach for Sustainable Development

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is an ongoing mega-construction project in Pakistan. It drives a high demand for natural aggregate resources to support the various multi-trading routes, roads, railways, fiber optics, local infrastructure, and urbanized/industrial zones. This boosting demand requires the development of effective techniques for the identification, delineation, and quantification of appropriate aggregate resources. To accomplish this aim, the field survey and geotechnical analyses, including carbonate rock sampling and laboratory testing, provided crucial data on the aggregate strength, durability, and suitability, supporting the Geographic Information System (GIS)-based Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) approach. The MCDA approach was employed, which comprises weighted overlay analysis (WOA), Fuzzy Logic (FL), and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). These approaches were utilized to determine the suitable aggregate resources in District Chakwal, Pakistan. Socioeconomic and environmental factors, including land use, proximity to highways, rock types, elevation, curvature, aspect, distance from faults, distance from streams, NDVI, population density, and slope, were analyzed and mapped employing FL, WOA, and AHP. These factors were then ranked by significance to mitigate land-use conflicts. The analysis categorizes potential aggregate resources as very low, low, moderate, or highly suitable based on environmental constraints, transportation, land use, and mineral deposit availability. In addition, a Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) based accuracy comparison of FL, AHP, and weighted overlay analysis demonstrated that FL possesses an exceptionally high degree of precision. The outcomes demonstrated that 15.52% was very low suitable, 26.45% was low suitable, 37.75% was medium suitable, and 20.28% was high suitable. This study highlights Fuzzy-GIS as an effective tool for assessing and categorizing land resources, providing valuable insights for regional and national authorities in decision-making and quarry authorization.