Contribution of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) in Decision-Making to (RE) Define Protected Areas Boundaries ? Case Study in the National Park of Campo Maan (South-Cameroon, Central Africa)

In this paper, Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is used as the method of criteria choice and classification for the delimitation of a protected area. Starting from the hypothesis that the space define for protected areas of Cameroon must integrate in priority wildlife, the density of spatial distribution of medium and large mammals in the Campo Ma'an National Park is used here as the main criterion analysis. Its combination in raster mode with other layers of information such as vegetation, streams, tracks, surrounding localities and areas of human activities provides a map on which the park area increased by 88.6%. This result is discussed on the basis of socio-spatial impact which is assessed in terms of three levels of relocation of the surrounding villages and their populations.