Abstract
This paper presents the development and application of a riparian buffer zone design model(RBZDM). The model was developed as a decision-making tool for watershed management, by integrating geographic information system(GIS) and analytical hierarchy process(AHP) theory. Several factors for watershed management, such as pollution removal capacity, land aquisition cost, distribution of point and non-point pollution sources, and possibility of new pollution source location, were analyzed based on AHP theory. The vegetated buffer zone width was designed using GIS-based riparian buffer analysis. The developed model was applied to the Kyoungan Stream watershed, which is an important part of Paldang lake catchment area. The Kyoungan stream watershed was divided into sixteen subbasins. Six of them belong to the main stem, where the model was applied. Ten alternatives of buffer zone width and five hierarchial levels were designed. The relative importance and the relative preference were computed by pair-wise comparison of evaluation criteria given in hierarchial levels. The buffer zone width was determined by linear function of the given alternatives and relative preferences. From this study, it was determined that the six buffer zone widths of Kyoungan main stems would be 1,594, 1,744, 1,856, 1,782, 1,338, 1,780 meter, from upstream to downstream.
