A decision support system for firerebase location in a nature conservation area
Date
2017-04-19
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Operations Research Society of South Africa
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: It is important that rebases are available on standby at strategic locations in a nature
conservation area from where wild re ignition points can be reached rapidly and such res
brought under control before they spread. Two facility location models are proposed in this
paper which may form the basis for decision support when deciding on the locations of such
rebases in a nature conservation area. Both of these models are multi-objective in nature.
They are able to produce solutions that embody trade-o decisions between minimising the
cost of locating rebases and maximising the coverage of key areas in a conservation area.
These trade-o s may be based on a variety of coverage importance criteria, such as aiming
to cover terrain portions exhibiting a steep ground slope, terrain portions that experience a
high annual mean wind speed, or terrain portions in which many wild res have ignited in
the past. The coverage criteria are typically case-speci c and may therefore be speci ed by
the decision maker. Both models, as well as their approximate solution methodology, are
implemented in the form of a computerised decision support system in order to render them
accessible to non-mathematically inclined decision makers. The decision support system is
validated by applying it to a special case study involving Table Mountain National Park, a
nature conservation area in the Western Cape, South Africa.
Description
CITATION: Reed, R. & Van Vuuren, J. H. 2017. A decision support system for firerebase location in a nature conservation area. ORiON, 33(2):57-84, doi:10.5784/33-2-562.
The original publication is available at http://orion.journals.ac.za
The original publication is available at http://orion.journals.ac.za
Keywords
Wildfires -- Prevention and control, Nature conservation area, Firebase location
Citation
Reed, R. & Van Vuuren, J. H. 2017. A decision support system for firerebase location in a nature conservation area. ORiON, 33(2):57-84, doi:10.5784/33-2-562