Collaborative environmental planning in river management: An application of multicriteria decision analysis in the White River Watershed in Vermont

Journal of Environmental Management
By: , and 

Links

Abstract

Multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) provides a well-established family of decision tools to aid stakeholder groups in arriving at collective decisions. MCDA can also function as a framework for the social learning process, serving as an educational aid in decision problems characterized by a high level of public participation. In this paper, the framework and results of a structured decision process using the outranking MCDA methodology preference ranking organization method of enrichment evaluation (PROMETHEE) are presented. PROMETHEE is used to frame multi-stakeholder discussions of river management alternatives for the Upper White River of Central Vermont, in the northeastern United States. Stakeholders met over 10 months to create a shared vision of an ideal river and its services to communities, develop a list of criteria by which to evaluate river management alternatives, and elicit preferences to rank and compare individual and group preferences. The MCDA procedure helped to frame a group process that made stakeholder preferences explicit and substantive discussions about long-term river management possible.

Study Area

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Collaborative environmental planning in river management: An application of multicriteria decision analysis in the White River Watershed in Vermont
Series title Journal of Environmental Management
DOI 10.1016/j.jenvman.2006.07.013
Volume 84
Issue 4
Year Published 2007
Language English
Publisher Elsevier
Description 13 p.
First page 534
Last page 546
Country United States
State Vermont
Other Geospatial White River Watershed
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details