Carp farming potential in Barhatta Upazilla, Bangladesh: a GIS methodological perspective

Assessing the suitability of an area for carp farming requires a considerable effort in terms of information collection that presents both opportunities and limitations to decision makers. This work describes a Geographical Information System (GIS) model, based on the Barhatta Upazilla, Netrokona District, Bangladesh, designed to identify suitability for carp farming potential based on the biological requirements of the fish, the quality and characteristics of land, availability of water, presence of transportation networks, market facilities, sources of fry, type of extension services, agricultural inputs and labor potential. The land suitability for carp farming was generated using Multi Criteria Evaluation (MCE) with Weighted Linear Combination (WLC). Competent management assumed the use of good-quality fry, agricultural inputs, draining facilities and control of predators. Results show that 58% of the area is 'very' and 'moderately' suitable for carp culture. Field verification data were employed for cross-checking with the model outputs. Outputs are consistent with the land suitability-modeling scheme. A sensitivity analysis revealed good results. Procedures developed show the significance of this model for the basis of identifying and delineating suitable land units at a detailed scale.