Estimation of remote sensing based ecological index along the Grand Canal based on PCA-AHP-TOPSIS methodology

A significant decline followed by improvement in the ecological environment along China's Grand Canal from 2000 to 2019, with northern sections showing unique characteristics distinct from the rest of the canal. This finding comes from a study that developed a Remote Sensing-based Ecological Index (RSEI) using PCA-AHP-TOPSIS methodology, which combines Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). The approach quantifies ecological factors such as air temperature, precipitation, PM2.5 concentration, NO2 columns, and NDVI, avoiding subjectivity in traditional multi-factor analysis. The study highlights the need for tailored eco-environmental restoration strategies due to increasing heterogeneity along the canal.

Li, Y., Wu, L., Han, Q., Wang, X., Zou, T., & Fan, C. (2021). Estimation of remote sensing based ecological index along the Grand Canal based on PCA-AHP-TOPSIS methodology. Ecological Indicators, 122, 107214. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.107214