Using Geospatial-Driven Territorial Planning and Land Suitability Analysis for Sustainable Coconut Agriculture in Johor, Malaysia

This research assesses land suitability and territorial planning for sustainable coconut agriculture in Johor, Malaysia, using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing technologies. The study aims to generate a comprehensive coconut land suitability map, evaluate land viability using Weighted Overlay Analysis (WOA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and develop territorial plans that consider soil suitability, climate conditions, and environmental impacts. Key variables analyzed include digital elevation model (DEM), soil bulk density, land use/land cover, soil moisture, NDVI, soil pH, annual rainfall, temperature, soil type, and soil water content. Each of these factors was reclassified and assigned weights through Weighted Overlay Analysis (WOA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to produce detailed suitability maps. The final maps classified areas into suitability categories: very suitable, suitable, moderately suitable, unsuitable, and very unsuitable, based on a predefined scale. These results clearly show that there is a significant loss of suitability regarding coconut cultivation from 2018 to 2024 due to driving factors like urbanization, degradation of land, and fluctuating environmental conditions. Therefore, key areas that were found highly suitable for coconut farming include Pontian, Muar, Batu Pahat, and Kota Tinggi, while areas of lower suitability include Pulau Tioman. The study thus concludes that adaptive land management strategies and continuous monitoring are needed to promote sustainable coconut agriculture, hence optimizing land use in Johor.