The appropriateness of multicriteria analysis in environmental decision-making problems

Environmental decision-making occurs in numerous environmental sectors and covers a diverse range of problems. Of the various decision tools available not all of them may be appropriate for any single decision problem, and any particular decision-aid may not be applicable in all decision problems. This article reviews applications of MCA, and considers the appropriateness of Multicriteria Analysis (MCA) in environmental decision-making problems. Due to natural and decision environments being multidimensional, environmental decision-making is characterized by complexity. Consequently MCA has commonly been used in this area. In Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) the multiple dimensions of the impacts evaluated have been easily represented in MCA as multiple criteria. Waste management and water resource planning problems involving public participation have been facilitated by MCA, through the structuring and articulation of the public's values. MCA has also been applied in water quality problems, allowing the incorporation of incommensurable criteria into evaluations. The appropriateness of MCA for environmental decision problems can be viewed in the context of a typical decision-making process, making it easier to identify the contribution MCA can make at various decision-making stages. MCA can be particularly appropriate when the decision-making context is characterized by multiple objectives and multiple criteria, incommensurable criteria, mixed data and the need for ease of use, and the analysis context is characterized by multiple participants.