Building a Spatial Digital Model for Drinking Water Distribution in Mountainous Villages of Latakia Governorate
Ismail Al-Abed
The process of planning the infrastructure necessary for drinking water distribution in mountainous villages is one of the complex challenges facing decision-makers. This problem is evident in Syria in general and Latakia Governorate in particular, manifested by the spread of 'thirsty mountainous villages' that lack drinking water services. Since numerous criteria contribute to drinking water planning, alongside a clear divergence in the opinions of service-providing experts in this field, this research aims to develop a spatial digital model for drinking water distribution in mountainous villages. This model integrates the Partitioning Around Medoids (PAM) method with GIS functions to generate several analytical maps reflecting the proposed criteria in the target area. The study resulted in the production of a combined surface map of potential intervention areas, which helps identify priority areas for intervention to provide drinking water networks in the studied region. This makes adopting such a model an essential phase when planning the necessary infrastructure for drinking water distribution in accordance with true stakeholders.