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PurposeTo investigate whether the desertification risk index (DRI) which was originally developed for the coastal area of Turkey in a previous work, could be used as an effective desertification indicator in other Mediterranean areas such as the Lebanon.Design/methodology/approachThe calculation of the DRI is based on the use of climatic factors and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). As a result, climatic data were obtained and spatial interpolation techniques were applied to derive temperature and precipitation maps within a GIS environment while the NDVI was derived from satellite imagery. Spatial models were employed in order to produce the DRI map of Lebanon. Geographical analysis and standard statistical techniques were employed to investigate the relationships between: desertification risk and two topographic factors, namely, elevation and distance from the sea and desertification risk and the type of land cover. The accuracy of the index was assessed by comparison with recently published official maps and documents.FindingsThe paper demonstrates the efficiency of a desertification index to identify areas at risk. The DRI map proved to be accurate when compared to the map of desertification prone areas recently produced by the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture. The areas with the highest degree of desertification risk are located in the North‐Eastern part of the country, in the area of the Bekaa Valley. This is in agreement with the reports of the United Nations Convention for combating desertification. A strong correlation was found between desertification risk and distance from the sea (the larger the distance the higher the risk) while shrubland appears to be the land cover type with the highest risk of desertification.Originality/valueThis research work demonstrates how satellite imagery and modern spatial analysis techniques could provide an essential alternative to traditional methods.

Linear infrastructure routing experts struggle with providing rationale for final route selections that are defensible, transparent, open to two-way stakeholder communication, and ultimately scientifically rigorous and repeatable. Likewise, proponents are wise to adopt a front-end, risk-based approach to proactively identify, mitigate or possibly avoid routing decisions that may result in stakeholder opposition and costly permitting and/or approval delays. This paper discusses an approach using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and a highly structured multi-criteria spatial analysis (MCA) to identify potentially optimal corridors and routes based on best available environmental, social, economic and technical spatial datasets. This approach can be used by multidisciplinary project teams to systematically capture, explore and record routing protocols and assumptions, and then extrapolate these considerations through GIS modelling into simulated corridor and route options which can then be quantitatively analyzed, compared, documented and communicated. Early identification and mitigation of project routing risks may help reduce or avoid costly project delays at later stages. Stakeholder communication and consultation can be incorporated at each stage in order to inform routes and explore trade-offs, as well as communicate routing rationale in an open, constructive and meaningful way. The resulting benefits of this approach include a robust and comprehensive rationale, providing proponents with a clear and compelling “story” in support of public and stakeholder consultation as well as the regulatory approval process.

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Development of oil and gas projects is frequently affected by non-technical factors such as environmental issues and community opposition. To avoid unintended costs and project delays, these factors must be considered early in project development. This paper presents an approach for integrating environmental, social, economic and technical considerations in facility site selection and routing analyses. The approach is based on multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) and can be applied on a geographic information system (GIS) platform. MCDA supports a collaborative decision-making process that accounts for stakeholder preferences and a broad range of risks and opportunities.The approach relies on the project proponent and subject matter experts to identify decision objectives and criteria that reflect project risks and opportunities. The approach has been applied to compare alternatives as well as to perform geospatial suitability and linear routing analysis. Both spatial (e.g., locations of potential community and environmental receptors) and non-spatial (e.g., community acceptance and regulatory challenges) criteria are considered within the MCDA framework.Two case studies are presented: marine terminal site selection and pipeline routing analysis. The process resulted in the identification of risks and opportunities that are most material to the decision, preferred site and pipeline route, as well as opportunities for improvement. The process can be applied to various types of development project, including water management and logistics planning.