Page 1091 - Proceedings Collega2023

This data is essential for understanding the intricate relationships between communities and their
landscapes, which are often critical in preserving cultural heritage.

The overlay mapping technique is then employed to integrate these geospatial and socio-spatial
datasets. By overlaying layers of information, we can identify areas of overlap, potential conflicts, and
opportunities for synergy between land resource planning and cultural heritage preservation. This
technique allows the researchers to visualise how cultural heritage sites coincide with land use patterns,
providing valuable insights for decision-makers. Suitability analysis is carried out using tools to assess the
suitability of different areas for specific land uses while considering cultural heritage preservation goals.
Factors such as terrain, environmental sensitivity, and socio-spatial significance are taken into account to
determine the optimal allocation of resources and land uses. Throughout the process, stakeholder
engagement and participatory mapping techniques are employed to ensure that the perspectives and
preferences of local communities and relevant authorities are integrated into the planning process. This
collaborative approach helps in achieving more sustainable and culturally sensitive land resource planning
and heritage preservation strategies.

Overlay Mapping Technique and Suitability Analysis

Overlay mapping techniques and suitability analysis are essential tools in geographic information
systems (GIS) for decision-making and spatial planning (Zhang et al., 2015). It is widely used in various
applications such as land use suitability analysis, flood evacuation site mapping, and assessment of
suitable landfill sites. In land use suitability analysis, GIS overlay procedures play a central role (K &
Kumaraswamy, 2019). This process involves determining the suitability of a given land area for a certain
type of use based on parameters such as soil texture, organic matter content, soil depth, slope, and land
use/land cover. Multiple criteria decision analysis is often used in this process to assign weights to different
criteria and generate a suitability map (K & Kumaraswamy, 2019).

As an example, in the mapping and assessment of flood evacuation sites, GIS overlay analysis is
used to generate a suitability map based on multi-criteria decision making and weights from related
literature (Bolanio et al., 2023). This helps identify suitable locations for evacuation shelters based on
factors such as spatial exposure to flooding and spatial capacity The suitability analysis can also be applied
to other domains such as agriculture. For example, in the evaluation of land suitability for maize
production, GIS and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) are integrated to evaluate different criteria such as
rainfall, temperature, soil type, and slope (Chivasaa et al., 2022). The resulting suitability map can then be
overlaid with constraints to identify suitable agricultural land. Overlay mapping techniques are not only
used for suitability analysis but also for other purposes such as measuring spatial cognitive abilities in the
use of GIS (Albert & Golledge, 1999). This involves conducting experimental tests to assess spatial cognitive
abilities in tasks such as map overlay operations.

International Conference on Local Wisdom of the Malay Archipelago (COLLEGA 2023) Page 1078