Nowadays, natural areas have been rapidly degraded due to the need for agricultural products, energy, minerals and recreation. Caves are among the pristine natural areas that are threatened by human activities. Therefore, developing an assessment method for conservation prioritization and proper use of caves seems necessary. In this way, it can be ensured that on the one hand, areas such as caves can be conserved and protected, and on the other hand, their services can be used. In this study, multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques were used to rank the caves on a case-by-case basis in Isfahan province. Hierarchical analysis process (AHP) was used to score the criteria and sub-criteria, and the TOPSIS method was employed to prioritize the studied caves. The caves were eva‎luated and prioritized according to three different standpoints of conservation, tourism, and threats. For this purpose, the criteria and sub-criteria related to the three standpoints including4 criteria and sub-criteria and 17 options for the protection standpoint, 5 criteria and 8 sub-criteria and 3 options for the tourism standpoint, and 2 criteria and 6 sub-criteria for the threats standpoint were identified. Paired comparisons of criteria were performed in collaboration with a working group of geologists, biologists, environmentalists and speleologists in a Delphi-like method. After determining the relative weights of the criteria and subcriteria using Expert Choice software, the eight studied caves of the province, including Yekeh-chah, Kalahorud, Demeh, Shah-Shah-shekar, Shahgandab, Fereydoonshahr municipality embankment, Eshkaft-e-tavileh and Pirhashtad were ranked utilizing TOPSIS method. The results of AHP showed that for the conservation section, biological and archaeological criteria, for the tourism section, archaeological criterium and for the threatssection, the sensitivity of animals to the presence of tourists were the most important factors determining the importance of a cave. For final conservation prioritization of caves the results of the conservation and threats sections were combined. As a result, from 120 the 8 studied caves, Demeh Cave with a score of 0.184 stood as the highest priority cave, and the cave near Fereydunshahr municipality embankment with a score of 0.028 determined as the lowest priority cave for protection. In general, the results of the present study showed that the combined AHP-TOPSIS method can be used as a suitable tool for prioritizing caves. In the present study, caves were divided into four categories of no access (Demeh and Kalahorud caves), limited access (Yekeh-chah, Pir-hashtad and Shahghandab caves), tourist accessible (Eshkaft-e-tavileh and Shah-shekar caves) and free access (Fereydunshahr municipality embankment) according to their TOPSIS weights. The approach used in the present study, although used for a pilot sample of eight caves, can also be considered at larger scales at the national and regional levels.

محمودرضا همامي

فاطمه سبك خيز، مجيد مرادمند

علي لطفي، محسن احمدي