GIS based multi-criteria decision-making approach for dry port location analysis: The case of Ethiopia

Dry port construction facilitates intermodal freight transport in the import and export corridors, especially for landlocked countries. Selecting the optimal locations for dry ports is a crucial component of national planning. In this study, multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) combined with GIS was used to map suitable sites for dry ports. Essential criteria for selecting optimum dry port locations were identified from the literature and a Simple Multi-Attribute Ranking Technique (SMART) was used for expert weighting these criteria. The results revealed that distance from road and distance from railway are the two most important criteria, while distance from a seaport is the least important. Application of the method to identify optimal dry port locations in Ethiopia showed that most of its territory is moderately suitable for dry port location. However, most of the existing dry ports in the region are found to lie within the highly suitable areas. Overall, the suitability map developed in this study provides a rich basis of information for future sustainable dry port investments.