GIS‐based multicriteria decision analysis: a survey of the literature (original) (raw)
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GIS-based multicriteria decision analysis applied for environmental issues; the Greek experience
International Journal of Applied Environmental Sciences
Environmental problems are often difficult to be solved due to the large number of parameters, data required and the conflicting interests of stakeholders. Multi-criteria decision analysis is considered as an analytical approach that is used to simultaneously take into account the multiple parameters, and incorporate the perspectives and preferences of the stakeholders to find the optimal solutions. For spatial applications multicriteria decision analysis can successfully be integrated with geographic information systems (GIS) that are considered as the most modular spatial decision support system. GIS-based multi-criteria decision analysis can be applied to support decisions for a vast number of environmental issues. This article is a review of the literature that utilized GIS-based multi-criteria decision analysis for environmental problems in Greece. The main objectives were: a) to provide a clear overview of the Greek experience so far in this decision supporting approach, b) to identify the trends, developments and prospects, c) to note the potential applications in environmental issues of Greece that could also benefit from GIS-based multi-criteria decision analysis implementation and d) to enhance the usability these methods by Greek researchers. Results showed an accelerating increase of GIS-based multicriteria decision analysis implementation in Greek case studies. The articles reviewed covered five broad thematic categories, ecology, water management, hazard/risk, renewable energy sources and land suitability analysis that could 308 Dimitrios Gounaridis and George N. Zaimes be further subdivided into sixteen subject matters that included landscape quality, habitat diversity, conservation restoration, pollution, water allocation/management, waste water, groundwater, landslides, floods, fires, wind/energy, bio-energy, waste-to-energy, landfill location, other facilities location/allocation. Despite the variety of subject matters these methods have been be applied to, there are more environmental fields that could benefit from their utilization, since Greece faces many environmental problems and has limited funds available. Finally, only a narrow spectrum of the GIS-based multi-criteria decision analysis methods available, have been used by Greek researchers.
Multicriteria decision aid approach with GIS technologies for the site selection problem
Geographic Information Systems (G.I.S.) has long been used for decision support, mainly utilizing their map design, comparison and analysis of spatial data capabilities. Also, effort had been done toward integrating GIS and Multi-criteria Decision Aid (MCDA) methodological approach (Jankowski,1995). Their main issue was to improve the decision-making procedure through IT tools, data analysis techniques and models, so as to provide a user-friendly information processing system. In this research, MCDA methods have been integrated with GIS in order to support Decision Makers to the generalized site selection problem. The main target of this project is to apply a methodology to the site selection problem using MCDA approach based on the principles of the additive utility function. In order to assess the additive utility function, the UTA (Utility Additive) method of the disaggregation-aggregation approach is used. This method supports the Decision Maker to take a decision through iterat...
A review of Spatial Multi Criteria Decision Making
Nowadays a wide range of operational and research activities in different fields of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) consist of decision making problems. Decision making is the main element in the spatial analysis in geographic studies and skills related to the success of the planning process. This paper has been written in the field of GIS and decision making. This paper provides a survey of the literature on multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) applications to GIS problems undertaken after 2000. This provides a unified source of references that could be useful for students, researchers and practitioners. The paper ends with an assessment of the literature presented, aiming to reach some conclusions, as well as indicate future trends in this line of research.
GIS-BASED FUZZY MULTI-CRITERIA DECISION MAKING METHODS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS
Every activity must begin or conclude with a choice since decision making has become an essential element of daily life in this world. As a result, the number of contemporary decisions that require numerous considerations to be considered has skyrocketed. On the other hand, because humans are involved in the decision-making process, the multi-criteria decision-making process is burdened with incompleteness, subjectivity, ambiguity, and other fuzziness qualities. As a solution, numerous studies combined Fuzzy Set Theory with Multi-Criteria Decision Making Methods to provide effective and efficient judgments while reducing the aforementioned challenges. Regardless, geographical data-required decision making has been one of the key issues confronting the decision-making arena since the advent of multi-criteria decision making, demanding the usage of Geographic Information Systems. The current study attempted to conduct a systematic and critical assessment of around forty-nine (49) prior studies reported in academic publications on GIS-based Fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision Making Methods throughout an eleven-year period (2011-2021). The following themes were specifically addressed: I the issue domains addressed, (ii) the research sites based on continents, (iii) the GIS-based Fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision Making Methods employed and most generally used, and (iv) Sensitivity analysis. The findings indicated that the bulk of the research (30.61 percent) addressed the location analysis issue domain out of the 49 primary papers collected for the evaluation, while the risk assessment problem domain included the fewest studies (16.32 percent). Asia had the largest number of studies (46.93 percent), while Africa had the lowest number of publications (14.28 percent). Among the 18 primary GIS-Based Fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision Making Methods employed, FAHP + GIS was found to be the most commonly used Fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision Making Methods and Geographic Information Systems approaches. The study also indicated that just 17 studies (35% of the total) completed sensitivity analysis, whereas 32 studies (65% of the total) did not. Finally, we summarize the challenges and future research prospects for GIS-based Fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision Making Methods.
A GIS-based Spatial Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis: Crisp and Fuzzy Methods
2019
Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) supports decision making through the assessment of a finite set of alternatives on the basis of multiple evaluation criteria. Spatial Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis deals with problems incorporating a spatial reference. Thereby, it places emphasis not only on which alternative will be finally chosen (action) but also on where such alternative will be implemented (location). Alternatives usually represent locations in the geographical space. Evaluation criteria represent a number of layers containing these locations. Thus, spatial MCDA is a map overlay process where a set of layers are combined and produce a decision map. Spatial MCDA is also popular as “Overlay Analysis”. This poster focuses on the application of a GIS-based Spatial MCDA aiming at optimal site selection for the development of an agro-tourist infrastructure. Crisp and fuzzy MCDA methods are applied under the framework of a Geographic Information System.
Spatial Multicriteria Decision Support Systems
Encyclopedia of GIS, 2008
This contribution focuses on the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) as an important tool to ensure sustainable development and reach a high level of environmental protection. More specifically, this paper provides an evaluation method based on the integration of Geographic Information System (GIS) and Multi-criteria Analysis-named Integrated Spatial Multi-criteria Decision Support System (ISMDSS)-to support the preparation of environmental assessment reports and the construction of scenarios for the adoption of urban plans, as an innovative tool that integrates objectives and multidimensional (economic, environmental, and social) components, as well as different approaches and models for the construction of a long-term shared vision. In particular, considerations are made by presenting a thought-provoking case study on the SEA of the urban plan of the municipality of Marzano di Nola, located in the province of Avellino in the Campania region. The experiment carried out showed the potentiality of the ISMDSS to evaluate the impacts of different scenarios with the aim of developing a sustainable urban municipal plan. The spatial dimension is useful in understanding the dynamics that characterize each environmental topic in a specific area, by considering not only the components of the natural and developed environment, but also the interactions with social and economic components.
Advances in Civil Engineering
In recent years, life quality of the urban areas is a growing interest of civil engineering. Environmental quality is essential to display the position of sustainable development and asserts the corresponding countermeasures to the protection of environment. Urban environmental quality involves multidisciplinary parameters and difficulties to be analyzed. The problem is not only complex but also involves many uncertainties, and decision-making on these issues is a challenging problem which contains many parameters and alternatives inherently. Multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) is a very prepotent technique to solve that sort of problems, and it guides the users confidence by synthesizing that information. Environmental concerns frequently contain spatial information. Spatial multicriteria decision analysis (SMCDA) that includes Geographic Information System (GIS) is efficient to tackle that type of problems. This study has employed some geographic and urbanization parameters to ...
Integrating geographical information systems and multiple criteria decision-making methods
International journal of geographical information systems, 1995
Many spatial decision-making problems, such as site selection or land use allocation require the decision-maker to consider the impacts of choice-alternatives along multiple dimensions in order to choose the best alternative. The decisionmaking process, involving policy priorities, trade-offs, and uncertainties, can be aided by Multiple Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) methods. This paper presents a framework for integrating geographical information systems (GIS) and MCDM methods. In this framework the MCDM methods are classified and matched with choice heuristics used by the decision-makers in the presence of competing alternatives and multiple evaluation criteria. Two strategies for integrating GIS with MCDM are proposed. The first strategy suggests linking GIS and MCDM techniques using a file exchange mechanism. The second strategy suggests integrating GIS and MCDM functions using a common database. The paper presents the implementation of the first strategy using PC-ARC/INFO, a file exchange module, and four different MCDM computer programs.
Integrating GIS and Multicriteria Decision Making Techniques for Land Resource Planning
2003
for giving the opportunity to undergo this programme and their kind support and encouragement. I convey my deep gratitude to Ms. Yuxian Sun, my supervisor for her kind advise, support and help. I am very grateful to her for her affection and availability at all the times, whenever I needed her help. I am also thankful to her for her critical comments and advise in structuring my thesis. I am also thankful to my supervisor Mr. C. Jeganathan for his advise, support and orienting me in the direction of decision science and giving his views on the subject in moving my thesis in the right direction. His enthusiastic discussions, kind help and support was encouraging during my research period. My sincere gratitude also extends to Dr. Ali Sharifi for his kind support and advises. Interactions with him helped me a lot to orient my research in a proper direction. I am also grateful to Dr. Luc Boerboom for his critical judgements and helpful advises.
Decerns : A Framework for Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis
International Journal of Computational Intelligence Systems, 2015
A new framework, Decerns, for multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) of a wide range of practical problems on risk management is introduced. Decerns framework contains a library of modules that are the basis for two scalable systems: DecernsMCDA for analysis of multicriteria problems, and DecernsSDSS for multicriteria analysis of spatial options. DecernsMCDA includes well known MCDA methods and original methods for uncertainty treatment based on probabilistic approaches and fuzzy numbers. These MCDA methods are described along with a case study on analysis of multicriteria location problem.