title: Using multicriteria methods in environmental planning and management.
abstract: In environmental planning and decision processes several alternatives are analyzed in terms of multiple noncommensurate criteria, and many different stakeholders with conflicting preferences are involved. Based on our experience in real-life applications, we discuss how multicriteria decision aid (MCDA) methods can be used successfully in such processes. MCDA methods support these processes by providing a framework for collecting, storing, and processing all relevant information, thus making the decision process traceable and transparent. It is therefore possible to understand and explain why, under several conflicting preferences, a particular decision was made. The MCDA framework also makes the requirements for new information explicit, thus supporting the allocation of resources for the process.
authors.affiliation: VTT Energy, Technical Research Centre of Finland, P.O. Box 1606, FIN-02044 VTT, Finland, FI.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lahdelma
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Salminen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hokkanen