Combining GIS with fuzzy multicriteria decision-making for landfill siting in a fast-growing urban region

Landfill siting is a difficult, complex, tedious, and protracted process requiring evaluation of many different criteria. This paper presents a fuzzy multicriteria decision analysis alongside with a geospatial analysis for the selection of landfill sites. It employs a two-stage analysis synergistically to form a spatial decision support system (SDSS) for waste management in a fast-growing urban region, south Texas. The first-stage analysis makes use of the thematic maps in Geographical information system (GIS) in conjunction with environmental, biophysical, ecological, and socioeconomic variables leading to support the second-stage analysis using the fuzzy multicriteria decision-making (FMCDM) as a tool. It differs from the conventional methods of integrating GIS with MCDM for landfill selection because the approach follows two sequential steps rather than a full-integrated scheme. The case study was made for the city of Harlingen in south Texas, which is rapidly evolving into a large urban area due to its vantage position near the US-Mexico borderlands. The purpose of GIS was to perform an initial screening process to eliminate unsuitable land followed by utilization of FMCDM method to identify the most suitable site using the information provided by the regional experts with reference to five chosen criteria. Research findings show that the proposed SDSS may aid in recognizing the pros and cons of potential areas for the localization of landfill sites in any study region. Based on initial GIS screening and final FMCDM assessment, "site 1" was selected as the most suitable site for the new landfill in the suburban area of the City of Harlingen. Sensitivity analysis was performed using Monte Carlo simulation where the decision weights associated with all criteria were varied to investigate their relative impacts on the rank ordering of the potential sites in the second stage. Despite variations of the decision weights within a range of 20%, it shows that "site 1" remains its comparative advantage in the final site selection process.     

Fuzzy assessment of land suitability for scientific research reserves

Evaluating the characteristics of a set of sites as potential scientific research reserves is an example of land suitability assessment. Suitability in this case is based upon multiple criteria, many of which can be linguistically imprecise and often incompatible. Fuzzy logic is a useful method for characterizing imprecise suitability criteria and for combining criteria into an overall suitability rating. The Ecosystem Management Decision Support software combined a fuzzy logic knowledge base we developed to represent the assessment problem with a GIS database providing site-specific data for the assessment. Assessment of sites as a potential natural reserve for the new University of California campus at Merced demonstrates the benefits of fuzzy suitability assessment. The study was conducted in three stages of successively smaller assessment regions with increasingly fine spatial resolution and specificity of criteria. Several sites were identified that best satisfy the suitability criteria for a reserve to represent vernal pool habitat.     

Suitability of the vegetation types in Mexico's Tamaulipas state for the siting of hazardous waste treatment plants

A land suitability study was carried out by applying a multiple-criteria technique to 12 different vegetation types in Mexico's Tamaulipas state to help select potentially suitable sites for hazardous waste treatment plants. Species richness, spatial distribution, and uniqueness were selected as the criteria for estimating a vegetation type's suitability. Using the analytical hierarchy process, we ranked and mapped vegetation types, then compared the results with rankings of the same vegetation types based only on their number of endemic species. The suitabilities of the various vegetation types were ordered in more or less the same way by both methods, except in two cases for which the results were very different. The method proved to be a useful tool despite the availability of only partial (mostly qualitative) information; under such circumstances, expert experience can be incorporated in the evaluation process to a limited degree. The technique described in this paper has a high potential to aid decisions when many opinions and options must be considered simultaneously.     

Development of an Evaluation Methodology for Triple Bottom Line Reports Using International Standards on Reporting

The purpose of this article is twofold. First, evaluation scoring systems for triple bottom line (TBL) reports to date are examined and potential methodological weaknesses and problems are highlighted. In this context, a new assessment methodology is presented based explicitly on the most widely acknowledged standard on non-financial reporting worldwide, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines. The set of GRI topics and performance indicators was converted into scoring criteria while the generic scoring devise was set from 0 to 4 points. Secondly, the proposed benchmark tool was applied to the TBL reports published by Greek companies. Results reveal major gaps in reporting practices, stressing the need for the further development of internal systems and processes in order to collect essential non-financial performance data. A critical overview of the structure and rationale of the evaluation tool in conjunction with the Greek case study is discussed while recommendations for future research on the field of this relatively new form of reporting are suggested.     

The Influence of Landscape Patterns on the Bird Diversity of Four Urban Parks

In our study, we aimed to investigate the influence of landscape patterns on the diversity of birds in four urban parks. The parks are located in a region that has a high value of regional biodiversity and is also highly urbanized (Jundiai, state of São Paulo [SP], in Southeastern Brazil). Using a set of aerial photos, the surrounding landscape was divided into two regions (rings) and corresponding landscape metrics were calculated. The presence of bird species was recorded monthly over a one‐year period and classified according to selected ecological criteria. The land cover of the areas surrounding each park was primarily buildings and residences. Bird diversity was significantly correlated with the presence/proximity of water bodies. We state that the potential of the parks to harbor bird species is not negligible. Managing the area surrounding a park to increase the percentage of forested area and the size of forest fragments is as crucial as managing the core park area, especially for improving its attractiveness for new bird species.     

Landfill site selection using spatial information technologies and AHP: A case study in Beijing,China

Site selection is an important and necessary issue for waste management in fast-growing regions. Because of the complexity of waste management systems, the selection of the appropriate solid waste landfill site requires consideration of multiple alternative solutions and evaluation criteria. Based on actual conditions of the study area, we considered economic factors, calculated criteria weights using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP), and built a hierarchy model for solving the solid waste landfill site-selection problem in Beijing, China. A geographic information system (GIS) was used to manipulate and present spatial data. All maps are graded from 1 (lowest suitability) to 5 (highest suitability) using spatial information technologies. The candidate sites were determined by aggregation based on the criteria weights. The candidate sites are divided by ‘best’, ‘good’ and ‘unsuitable’ landfill areas. Best landfill areas represent optimal sites; good landfill areas can be used as back-up candidate sites. Our work offers a siting methodology and provides essential support for decision-makers in the assessment of waste management problems in Beijing and other rapidly developing cities in developing countries.     

Screening CO2 storage options in The Netherlands

This paper describes the development and application of a methodology to screen and rank Dutch reservoirs suitable for long-term large scale CO₂ storage. The screening focuses on off- and on-shore individual aquifers, gas and oil fields. In total 176 storage reservoirs have been taken into consideration: 138 gas fields, 4 oil fields and 34 aquifers, with a total theoretical storage potential of about 3200 Mt CO₂. The reservoirs are screened according to three criteria: potential storage capacity, storage costs and effort needed to manage risk. Due to the large number of reservoirs, which limits the possibility to use any pair-wise comparison method (e.g. Multi-Criteria programs such as Bosda or Naiade), a spreadsheet tool was designed to provide an assessment of each of the criteria through an evaluation of the fields present in the database and a set of scores provided by a (inter)national panel of experts. The assessment is sufficiently simple and allows others to review it, re-do it or expand it. The results of the methodology show that plausible comparisons of prospective sites with limited characterization data are possible.     

Use of strategic environmental assessment in the site selection process for a radioactive waste disposal facility in Slovenia

The benefits of strategic environmental considerations in the process of siting a repository for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste (LILW) are presented. The benefits have been explored by analyzing differences between the two site selection processes. One is a so-called official site selection process, which is implemented by the Agency for radwaste management (ARAO); the other is an optimization process suggested by experts working in the area of environmental impact assessment (EIA) and land-use (spatial) planning. The criteria on which the comparison of the results of the two site selection processes has been based are spatial organization, environmental impact, safety in terms of potential exposure of the population to radioactivity released from the repository, and feasibility of the repository from the technical, financial/economic and social point of view (the latter relates to consent by the local community for siting the repository). The site selection processes have been compared with the support of the decision expert system named DEX. The results of the comparison indicate that the sites selected by ARAO meet fewer suitability criteria than those identified by applying strategic environmental considerations in the framework of the optimization process. This result stands when taking into account spatial, environmental, safety and technical feasibility points of view. Acceptability of a site by a local community could not have been tested, since the formal site selection process has not yet been concluded; this remains as an uncertain and open point of the comparison.     

Evaluating consistency of stakeholder input into participatory GIS-based multiple criteria evaluation: a case study of ecotourism development in Kurdistan

Multiple criteria evaluation (MCE) is often used with GIS to identify suitable sites for multi-purpose development such as ecotourism. Typically, expert or stakeholder consultation is used to identify weights reflecting the relative importance of map layers representing different criteria. The objective of this study was to evaluate a new consultative approach to GIS-based MCE, using ecotourism development in Kurdistan, Iraq, as a case study. In an initial and follow-up consultation, stakeholders were asked not only to assess the relative importance of different map layers for ecotourism development, but also to identify specific sites suitable for ecotourism. Seventy-eight ecotourism destinations nominated by participants had significantly higher MCE scores than a set of 58 locations chosen without reference to stakeholders (t-test = 21.16; p < 0.001). The approach thus provides a straightforward means of assessing the consistency of stakeholder input into MCE and could be adapted for use in other site suitability assessments.     

Multiple criteria decision making: Facilitating a learning environment

Effective decision making for sustainability requires consideration of multiple evaluation criteria. A numerical weight, assigned to each criterion, is the most common tool used to formalize preferences in Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM). However, there are methods other than applying weights, which can be used to explore and articulate preferences. Two such groups have been identified as aspirational and holistic methods. The authors are interested in establishing if the different approaches to MCDM vary in their ability to facilitate a learning environment. There has been little examination of how this might best be achieved. An attempt is made to set out some hypotheses about which characteristics of MCDM tools may best support such learning. Additionally, three MCDM tools, representing the weighting, aspirational and holistic methods, are evaluated through a workshop for their ability to support individual learning. This includes a new tool, referred to as Target Ordering, which explores preferences through criteria targets rather than applying a weight to the criteria themselves.     

An Analytic Network Process approach for siting a municipal solid waste plant in the Metropolitan Area of Valencia (Spain)

In this paper the Analytic Network Process (ANP) is applied to select the best location for the construction of a municipal solid waste (MSW) plant in the Metropolitan area of Valencia (Spain). Selection of the appropriate MSW facility location can be viewed as a complex multicriteria decision-making problem that requires an extensive evaluation process of the potential MSW plant locations and other factors as diverse as economic, technical, legal, social or environmental issues. The decision-making process includes the identification of six candidate MSW plant sites and 21 criteria grouped into clusters for the construction of a network. Two technicians of the Metropolitan Waste Disposal Agency acted as decision makers (DMs).The influences between the elements of the network were identified and analyzed using the ANP multicriteria decision method. Two different ANP models were used: one hierarchy model (that considers AHP as a particular case of ANP) and another network-based model. The results obtained in each model were compared and analyzed. The strengths and weaknesses of ANP as a multicriteria decision analysis tool are also described in the paper. The main findings of this research have proved that ANP is a useful tool to help technicians to make their decision process traceable and reliable. Moreover, this approach helps DMs undertake a sound reflection of the siting problem.     

Site search and multicriteria evaluation

Geographic information systems (GIS) are potentially powerful collections of tools which planners can use in the manipulation and analysis of spatial information. One traditional area of interest in this context is site search. Here, the functionality of GIS is, however, limited to certain deterministic analyses which serve merely as a computerised automation of the manual sieve mapping approach. The integration of multicriteria evaluation (MCE) techniques with GIS, is forwarded as a means of providing the user with the means to evaluate sites identified by sieve mapping techniques on the basis of multiple and conflicting criteria and objectives. An example application based on the search for suitable radioactive waste disposal sites in Britain using the Arc/Info GIS is included. The potential use of a combined GIS/MCE approach in the development of spatial decision support systems (SDSS) is considered.     

Accountability,Reporting, or Management Improvement? Development of a State of the Parks Assessment System in New South Wales,Australia

Management effectiveness evaluation has been recognized as an important mechanism for both reporting on and improving protected area management. The Convention on Biological Diversity’s program of work on protected areas calls on all countries to implement such systems. In 2004, the first whole of system assessment of park management effectiveness, based on the IUCN-WCPA Management Effectiveness Evaluation Framework, was undertaken in New South Wales, Australia as part of a State of the Parks reporting requirement. This article describes the development of the State of the Parks assessment tool, its elements, and how it addresses the management effectiveness difficulties associated with assessments conducted across an extensive and diverse range of park types. The importance of engaging staff, at all levels, throughout the process is highlighted, as well as the adjustments made to the assessment tool based on staff feedback. While some results are presented, the main purpose of the article is to identify and discuss important procedural and methodological considerations. These include balancing quantitative and qualitative assessment approaches, achieving a comprehensive understanding of the management processes, and responding to any problems associated with assessments.     

Environmental management framework for wind farm siting: Methodology and case study

This paper develops an integrated framework to evaluate land suitability for wind farm siting that combines multi-criteria analysis (MCA) with geographical information systems (GIS); an application of the proposed framework for the island of Lesvos, Greece, is further illustrated. A set of environmental, economic, social, and technical constraints, based on recent Greek legislation, identifies the potential sites for wind power installation. Furthermore, the area under consideration is evaluated by a variety of criteria, such as wind power potential, land cover type, electricity demand, visual impact, land value, and distance from the electricity grid. The pair-wise comparison method in the context of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is applied to estimate the criteria weights in order to establish their relative importance in site evaluation. The overall suitability of the study region for wind farm siting is appraised through the weighted summation rule. Results showed that only a very small percentage of the total area of Lesvos could be suitable for wind farm installation, although favourable wind potential exists in many more areas of the island.     

Evaluating public participation in environmental decision-making: EPA's superfund community involvement program

This article discusses an 8-year, ongoing project that evaluates the Environmental Protection Agency's Superfund community involvement program. The project originated as a response to the Government Performance and Results Act, which requires federal agencies to articulate program goals, and evaluate and report their progress in meeting those goals. The evaluation project assesses how effective the Superfund community involvement program is in promoting public participation in decisions about how to clean up hazardous wastes at Superfund sites. We do three things in the article: (1) share our experience with evaluating an Agency public participation program, including lessons learned about methods of evaluation; (2) report evaluation results; and (3) address a number of issues pertaining to the evaluation of public participation in environmental decision-making. Our goal is to encourage more environmental managers to incorporate evaluation into their public participation programs as a tool for improving them. We found that written mail surveys were an effective and economical tool for obtaining feedback on EPA's community involvement program at Superfund sites. The evaluation focused on four criteria: citizen satisfaction with EPA information about the Superfund site, citizen understanding of environmental and human health risks associated with the site, citizen satisfaction with opportunities provided by EPA for community input, and citizen satisfaction with EPA's response to community input. While the evaluation results were mixed, in general, community members who were most informed about and involved in the cleanup process at Superfund sites generally were also the most satisfied with the community involvement process, and the job that EPA was doing cleaning up the site. We conclude that systematic evaluation provides meaningful and useful information that agencies can use to improve their public participation programs. However, there need to be institutionalized processes that ensure evaluation results are used to develop and implement strategies for improvement.     

Spatial and temporal distribution of illegal dumping sites in the nature protected area: the Ojców National Park,Poland

The existence of illegal dumping continues to be a worldwide problem, even in nature protected areas, and its distribution is not random. An understanding of the distribution of illegal dumping sites is crucial for the enhancement of effective waste management systems. Therefore, this study aims at a better understanding of spatial and temporal changes to illegal dumping sites in a nature protected area (the Ojców National Park) from 1994 to 2016. The most important spatial factors that control the distribution of illegal dumping sites were the distance from roads and from the field-forest edge. In the last two decades, the number of small dumping sites has increased, whereas the number of large illegal dumping sites has decreased. Moreover, this study presents a model of the potential occurrence of illegal dumping sites, which indicates places that should be under the control of the national park and of local authorities.     

Ecotourism options in coastal protected area management: a case study of North Head Quarantine Station, Australia

The challenges faced by coastal protected areas in both promoting highly attractive sites and preserving the natural attributes of these sites have been given a new dimension with the opportunities presented by ecotourism. Realising the market potential of a protected area and, at the same time, conserving the unique features of an area is a difficult task. This paper explores the possibilities that backpacker tourism may offer the Quarantine Station in Sydney Harbour National Park, in Australia. The Quarantine Station is a significant cultural heritage site that is located in a sensitive coastal national park within Sydney's metropolitan area.     

Parkmanagement as a tool for careful industrial land‐use planning

During the second half of the 1990s the combination of ecological and economic targets in industrial land‐use planning became an official part of spatial‐economic policy in the Netherlands. A growing number of business locations are now being developed or re‐developed as ‘sustainable business sites’. At the same time, ‘parkmanagement’ came into existence as a new tool for development and control of business sites for industry and services. Parkmanagement is now regarded as one of the obvious instruments to realize sustainable (or ‘careful’) land use on business parks. However, there is now a question about whether it is wrong for local governments (which in the Dutch case are responsible for most land development schemes) to have so much participation in parkmanagement initiatives. There is a threat that local governments are welcoming parkmanagement as a fashionable way to impose new regulations on business establishments, and ignore the evidence from practice. Such evidence shows that parkmanagement is most successful when organized with the involvement of private enterprises. This would also be more in line with the modern interaction‐oriented planning theory (consensus planning). The paper describes the principal dilemmas facing local governments in business site development, the theoretical options for influencing the development process of the sites, and the set of actions that could be part of a parkmanagement strategy. These can be arranged on a ‘ladder’ or range of activities, from rather simple facilities serving individual companies' needs, such as maintenance and security, to more complex co‐operation projects in combined transport or energy supply, and ultimately lead to schemes for connecting material flows of production processes. The successive stages of the ladder of business site facilities can be combined with different forms and stages of process organization.     

Investment Evaluation of an Integrated Steel Mill using Multiple Criteria

A conventional steel manufacturing process generates considerable amounts of reject streams and secondary raw material. These streams are either recycled back to the process or treated as waste. Recycling affects negatively on the production yield and on the controllability of unit operations. Waste represents considerable cost unless utilized in another production process as raw material. In these streams, there exists a potential to use the chemical elements more effectively. Therefore, it might be interesting to find an economical technical solution to collect the streams and increase steel production.

Investments on process equipment are typically evaluated using conventional economic figures, like payback time, Net Present Value (NPV) etc. The problem with these practices is, that they consider only numerical aspects. Non-numerical and non-economical criteria are hard to cater to the evaluation. Still, they may affect on the investment profitability in the long run. Such criteria include environmental friendliness or the aspects of process integration.

The article presents a comparison of a conventional steel manufacturing process with one reject stream processing alternative. A target in the process modification is to optimize the use of material and energy within the site. The comparison is based on a balanced set of criteria that affect on the efficiency of an investment. The use of these criteria is a part of the new methodology that has been developed to evaluate investments on integrated process sites. In addition to the criteria, the complete methodology includes: 1) connection of company’s strategic issues into technical design and decision making, 2) optimization of the process and calculation of process potentials (differences in the performance values between the existing process and the modified process) through the use of process integration methodologies and 3) use of decision-making aids. The research is a part of Finnish National Technology Program, “Process-Integration 2000–2004”.     

Integrating Landscape Analysis and Planning: A Multi-Scale Approach for Oriented Management of Tourist Recreation

Tourism and landscape are interdependent concepts. Nature- and culture-based tourism are now quite well developed activities and can constitute an excellent way of exploiting the natural resources of certain areas, and should therefore be considered as key objectives in landscape planning and management in a growing number of countries. All of this calls for careful evaluation of the effects of tourism on the territory. This article focuses on an integrated spatial method for landscape analysis aimed at quantifying the relationship between preferences of visitors and landscape features. The spatial expression of the model relating types of leisure and recreational preferences to the potential capacity of the landscape to meet them involves a set of maps showing degrees of potential visitor satisfaction. The method constitutes a useful tool for the design of tourism planning and management strategies, with landscape conservation as a reference.