Water resources are increasingly pressured by population growth, industrial expansion, and human activities, which accelerate surface water pollution. Evaluating their vulnerability is therefore essential for effective management and protection. This study investigates the spatial vulnerability of the Babolroud watershed by integrating eleven hydrogeological and anthropogenic criteria within a GIS-based multi-criteria decision-making framework. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was applied to determine the weights of the criteria identified through expert evaluation, while the Ordered Weighted Averaging (OWA) method incorporated different risk perspectives to account for both optimistic and pessimistic attitudes. Sensitivity maps were generated to identify sub-basins most at risk of pollution. The findings indicate that sub-basins A1 and A2 are the most vulnerable, with A1 consistently emerging as the most sensitive area across all scenarios. This result suggests that pollution risks in A1 are persistent and require urgent attention. Overall, the study demonstrates that the OWA method, with its flexibility in adjusting decision-making strategies, provides a reliable tool for identifying critical areas. The generated maps offer practical insights to support sustainable watershed management, environmental risk mitigation, and the development of targeted policies.
Veisari et al. (Sun,) studied this question.
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