Land suitability mapping for rainfed olive tree plantation in the West Bank, Palestine

In many developing countries, with a Mediterranean climate, the olive sector forms an important source of income. Thus, the assessment of land and identification of the highly suitable areas for olive is a very important step toward sustainable olive cultivation. A land suitability assessment for olive tree plantation in the West Bank, Palestine, was conducted and an olive land suitability (OLS) map was developed. GIS-based multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) was applied to assess the OLS based on identifying the most influential criteria that include ground surface elevations, aspects, slope, average annual maximum and minimum temperatures, average annual rainfall, land use, soil texture, and agricultural rainwater harvesting suitability. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was used to assign proper weights for the different criteria. Results of this study show that 47% of the West Bank area is high to very high suitable for olive plantation. Additionally, 30% and 23% of the West Bank area are under low to very low and medium suitability classes, respectively. However, 100% of Tulkarm, Qalqiliya, and Salfit areas are highly suitable, whereas Jericho and Tubas governorates are not suitable for olive tree plantation. Overlaying the OLS map and the A, B, and C areas of the Oslo accord (Palestinian-Israel peace process agreement) indicates that about 52% of the total highly OLS areas are located in areas A and B. Thus, investment in olive tree expansion in these areas is feasible as these areas are under Palestinian administrative control. Further, juxtaposing the OLS map and the existing rough grazing areas indicates that the highly suitable OLS areas are located in the rough grazing areas in the northwest governorates. Thus, encroachment of olive trees in rough grazing areas, where possible, is a viable option for potential future olive expansion in these governorates. Finally, the outputs of this study are of high value to help stakeholders and decision-makers to select the most suitable sites for olive tree plantation and as such enhance olive production in Palestine.

Automated summary

This study assessed the suitability of land for olive tree plantation in the West Bank, Palestine, using GIS-based multi-criteria decision analysis. The results showed that approximately 47% of the area is highly suitable for olive cultivation, with Tulkarm, Qalqiliya, and Salfit areas being 100% suitable. The study also found that the highly suitable areas are mainly located in areas under Palestinian administrative control, providing feasible opportunities for olive tree expansion.