Prioritization and Evaluation of Land Consolidation ProjectsZitava River Basin in a Slovakian Case

Experience shows that existing selections (particularly in Slovakia) of cadastral areas for land consolidation (LC) projects have been overwhelmingly subjective based on diverse sources of information, particular interests and the degree of LC's popularity in different regions. Multi-criteria evaluation and clustering may be an adequate, universal and yet an inexpensive solution as a semi-objective approach for selection and evaluation of land consolidation projects. Based on an analysis of parameters and data from 74 cadastral areas in the Zitava River basin in Slovakia, a set of criteria (geometrical, ownership/social, environmental, erosion, and morphology) and weights for them have been identified and combined into composite indices/criteria for designing a ranking system for LC prioritization and evaluation. However, they are universally applicable/adaptable, and are not limited to a particular territory or country. Presented results for finished projects in the case study area also verify that the selection process has been deeply unsatisfactory.