Site Suitability Analysis for Local Airport Using Geographic Information System

Abstract

Geographic Information System (GIS) are now recognized broadly as a valuable tool for managing, analyzing and displaying large set of data relevant many local and regional planning and analyzing activities. The complex nature of Airport site suitability issues can be sorted it out using GIS tools. This research will discuss some potential of GIS application in site suitability analyzing considering factors that can affect to the Airports for entire Sri Lanka (considering forest area, tanks, airborne restricted area, and streams) and closer study for Polonnaruwa district, as there is a higher tourist attraction for historical and ancient cities. Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa districts give considerable amount of contribution for that. Therefore Polonnaruwa district will be closely analyzed considering all the factors that will affect the selection of area for Airports. In this study, the factors considered, will lead to generate areas which are not suitable for local airports in Sri Lanka. Hence using Erase tool under GIS tool box overlay function erase all those areas as not suitable areas for local Airports. Rest can be defined as suitable areas for local airports. Also the buffering tool can be used to identify the most suitable areas by considering land use patterns, road and railway networks.