Artificial Intelligence, Geographic Information Systems and Multi-criteria Decision-making for Improving Sustainable Development

The Asia-Pacific region, home to some of the world’s fastest-growing economies, faces a range of complex challenges, including environmental degradation, the increasing frequency of natural hazards, and rapid urbanization. Addressing these issues, which many countries across the globe are facing, requires innovative, interdisciplinary approaches to promote sustainable development and enhance resilience. Geographic information systems (GIS), when combined with multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques and advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), offer powerful tools to tackle these multifaceted problems. AIGIS integrates AI with GIS to derive insights from geospatial data. The fusion of AI techniques with GIS enhances data analysis, visualization, and decision-making. Artificial Intelligence, Geographic Information Systems, and Multi-Criteria Decision-Making for Improving Sustainable Development explore how these integrated tools can support decision-making processes aimed at advancing sustainable development.

Drawing on research and insights from diverse disciplines, the book looks at how GIS, MCDM, and AI can provide solutions for disaster risk reduction, environmental monitoring, urban planning, and natural resource management. Through diverse case studies and theoretical explorations, this book highlights the value of integrated geospatial tools in facilitating informed decision-making and fostering resilient societies in the face of evolving challenges. It covers a wide range of topics, including the following:

• Site-soil-geology assessments in Fiji
• Flood risk analysis in Hong Kong
• Air quality management in Delhi during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Vegetation health monitoring in Thailand

Bringing together the work of academicians, practitioners, and decision-makers, the book reflects the growing recognition towards effective and sustainable solutions to complex problems, which require a multidimensional approach, integrating scientific, economic, and social considerations. By providing the latest research and practical applications of MCDM, AI, and GIS, it contributes to ongoing efforts to build a more sustainable and resilient future for the Asia-Pacific region, as well as for the world.

Dr. Sujoy Kumar Jana is an Associate Professor of the GIS section, Department of Surveying & Land Studies at the Papua New Guinea University of Technology.

Dr. Kamalakanta Muduli is as an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Papua New Guinea University of Technology.

Dr. Indrajit Pal is an Associate Professor and the Chair of the Disaster Preparedness, Mitigation and Management and Deputy Director of the Research Center "South- and Southeast Asia Multi-disciplinary Applied Research Network on Transforming Societies of Global South (SMARTS)" at the Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand.

Dr. Purushottam Meena is a member of the Supply Chain Management Faculty in the School of Business at the College of Charleston, South Carolina, USA.