SME development for poverty alleviation using GIS and AHP-based multi-criteria decision analysis

Small and medium-sized businesses have the potential to make a significant contribution to Bangladesh's overall economic development, both in alleviating poverty and contributing to the country's GDP. The present study aims to investigate the causes and consequences of poverty, identify suitable small- and medium-sized industries, and select appropriate sites for the development of such industries, using Chatmohor in Pabna district as a case study. This study utilized descriptive statistics, multilinear regression, binary logistic regression, rank-based quotient, Analytical Hierarchy Approach and the Multi-criteria decision analysis method. PRA, FGD, and KII are also the instruments that were used in the process of primary data collection. The study shows 80% of respondents live below extreme poverty, with 37.5% never attending school and 5.2% reaching undergraduate level. With a less than 0.05 p-value, two factors, unemployment and unstable economic conditions found to be significant in affecting mental health. Using AHP, weights of 55.79%, 26.33%, 12.19%, and 5.69% were assigned to growth centres, Land Use Land Cover, rural markets, and slope, respectively. Using this weight Multi-criteria Decision analysis identified most of the suitable land for industry, such as right near the Chatmohor railway station, Shitllai Zaminadar house near Natore National Highway, and Mulgram. The study's findings indicated that agro-processing companies in the region are crucial to the local economy, as a wide variety of agricultural products are readily available. This study enables stakeholders to make informed decisions about industries, promoting economic prosperity, thereby contributing to sustainable growth and achieving the goal of poverty alleviation.