Application of Fuzzy Logic in Analyzing Ecotourism Sustainability in the limit of city tehran

Lands located within the limit of city possess substantial latent potential for ecotourism development. However, without scientific planning based on precise evaluation, such development may result in environmental instability and unsustainable land use. The objective of this study is to evaluate the sustainability of ecotourism development within the limit of city Tehran by applying the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP), a multi-criteria decision-making approach designed to operate under conditions of uncertainty. In the initial phase, indicators influencing the ecological capacity of the region were extracted using environmental data and previous research. Subsequently, the FAHP method was employed to determine the relative weight of each indicator, taking into account the uncertainties in the data and expert opinions. The results derived from FAHP analysis were then used to classify zones within the limit of city based on their potential for ecotourism development. In the final stage, the generated maps were compared with current land-use maps and expert perspectives in the field of ecotourism to accurately assess the degree of alignment and sustainability of development in the region. The findings revealed that FAHP, with its hierarchical and flexible structure, successfully identified zones with high potential for intensive and extensive ecotourism development, with sustainability levels of 28% and 39%, respectively. Additionally, zones with lower potential were accurately distinguished. These results highlight the effectiveness of FAHP in illustrating sustainability levels and guiding targeted ecotourism development within the limit of city areas.