Abstract:
Human health is intimately linked to the geological environment. Geological background, water, soil, air, and biological factors significantly influence population health. However, a single-perspective evaluation of geo-environmental suitability fails to capture multi-factor interactions, limiting their applicability. To assess the impact of a regional geological environment on population health, this study focuses on the Oroqen Autonomous Banner in Inner Mongolia. Aiming to overcome the challenge of multi-index data coupling and weight integration, a GeoHealth-oriented geo-environmental suitability assessment was conducted, encompassing 11 indicators across three categories: geological, geographical, and ecological conditions. Indicator weights were determined by integrating the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) with a modified CRITIC method. A one-factor-at-a-time (OAT) sensitivity analysis was performed to validate result robustness. Finally, spatial autocorrelation analysis was employed to explore spatial patterns. Results indicate that geo-environmental suitability can be classified into five levels. Class Ⅰ (most suitable) areas cover 1876 km
2 (17.26% of the study area), predominantly distributed in the northeast and intermontane river valleys, where suitability is primarily influenced by topography, soil properties, and mineral element distributions. Spatial autocorrelation analysis reveals significant clustering of similar suitability values, with the highest suitability observed in Dayangshu Town and eastern Guli Township. Sensitivity analysis yields a maximum mean absolute change rate (MACR) of 2.2354%, far lower than the weight change rate of 30%, indicating that the evaluation results are generally stable and that the weight setting is reasonable. This assessment objectively reflects the geo-environmental suitability of the Oroqen Autonomous Banner, and the results are scientific and credible.