Spatial assessment of land suitability for aquaculture in the Tena River basin, Napo‐Ecuador

Abstract Aquaculture in the Tena River Basin (Ecuador) is a key contributor to the local economy and food security; however, it also poses environmental risks, including water pollution and the decline of native species. This highlights the need for land‐use planning to identify suitable areas for its development, considering environmental, socioeconomic, and legal criteria. In this research, geographic information systems (GIS) and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) were used to identify suitable areas for aquaculture. Two sub‐models representing five environmental criteria and four socioeconomic criteria were weighted and integrated. Risk and restriction criteria were also considered to protect the water resource and conservation areas of the basin. The results of the final suitability model identified that 1512 ha (6%) corresponds to suitable areas, 8283 ha (34%) moderately suitable, and 3381 ha (14%) unsuitable. The remaining area of 10.923 ha (45%) of the basin consists of sites where aquaculture cannot be carried out. Model validation using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve yielded an area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.76, indicating an acceptable predictive performance. These findings provide a robust spatial framework that can guide local decision‐makers in strategically planning and regulating aquaculture activities to balance economic benefits with environmental sustainability and conservation.