Methodology for assessment of the accessibility of a brown coal deposit with Analytical Hierarchy Process and Weighted Linear Combination

The research aimed to assess the accessibility of a brown coal deposit for development with respect to environmental and land use functions of the terrain. A combination of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Weighted Linear Combination methodology was proposed to determine weights of environmental and spatial (land use) factors conditioning development of an open-cast mine project and to produce a composite accessibility map in a geographic information system (GIS). The environmental and spatial factors (criteria) were identified in a survey of a group of experts, and the weights were determined by pairwise comparison of criteria by the same group of experts. The following ones were identified as the most significant factors constraining development of a brown coal open-cast mining project: nature protection areas, cultural and historical monuments, populated areas, underground water reservoirs and surface waters. The research was done on a case study of the Legnica brown coal deposit located in the Dolnoslaskie Province in SW Poland. The identified criteria were mapped and standardized in GIS. The final composite map was obtained in the result of a weighted map overlay analysis with the weights determined in the result of AHP analysis. The results, presented graphically and statistically, show that the western area of the three analysed Legnica deposit coal fields is the least inaccessible with respect to the analysed criteria and that the northern one is the most inaccessible. The results can be used to support sustainable spatial policy and development on all levels of public administration.