Integration of GIS and Multicriteria Evaluation for School Site Selection A Case Study of Belgut Constituency

Abstract

Site selection is a complex problem that involve, technical, political social, environmental and economic demands that are difficult to satisfy via one method which may be in conflict with others. Schools need be located on safe places; these safe locations should also be optimal and economical to the public in terms of accountability. Location of these schools has always been done without use of any scientific methods and has led to sprouting of schools located in unsuitable locations. The study area, Belgut Constituency in Kericho County, has schools with less than minimum land size, over enrolment and close to flood prone areas. This was due to lack of regulations on establishment of new emerging schools. Hence there is need to use combination of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) tools and multi criteria evaluation (MCE) methods in locating them in the most suitable location. This way, incidences of congested, dangerous locations, underutilized schools and human bias will be eliminated. The research study objective was to locate the physical site for any school using GIS technology integrated with Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), a tool in MCE for finding a suitable location of any new school. Also a weighted overlay method, a tool in ArcGIS, was used to combine all the identified criteria and the results indicated that there are suitable and economically viable areas to add new schools to the eastern part of Belgut which totals to 32 Ha with a small part falling in the central and south western part. From the results it was recommended that in locating new schools the management should embrace use of GIS technology integrated with MCE methods in locating their new schools effectively economically and socially. The authority concerned with school location and safety need to make and published a preferred criteria for use in Kenya.