A systematic review of application of multi-criteria decision analysis for aging-dam management

[EN] Decisions for aging-dam management requires a transparent process to prevent the dam failure, thus to avoid severe consequences in socio-economic and environmental terms. Multiple criteria analysis arose to model complex problems like this. This paper reviews specific problems, applications and Multi-Criteria Decision Making techniques for dam management. Multi-Attribute Decision Making techniques had a major presence under the single approach, specially the Analytic Hierarchy Process, and its combination with Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution was prominent under the hybrid approach; while a high variety of complementary techniques was identified. A growing hybridization and fuzzification are the two most relevant trends observed. The integration of stakeholders within the decision making process and the inclusion of trade-offs and interactions between components within the evaluation model must receive a deeper exploration. Despite the progressive consolidation of Multi-Criteria Decision Making in dam management, further research is required to differentiate between rational and intuitive decision processes. Additionally, the need to address benefits, opportunities, costs and risks related to repair, upgrading or removal measures in aging dams suggests the Analytic Network Process, not yet explored under this approach, as an interesting path worth investigating.This research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness along with FEDER funding (Projects BIA201456574-R and ECO2015-66673-R).Zamarrón-Mieza, I.; Yepes, V.; Moreno-Jiménez, JM. (2017). A systematic review of application of multi-criteria decision analysis for aging-dam management. Journal of Cleaner Production. 147:217-230. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.01.092S21723014

Assessment of future urban growth impact on landscape pattern using cellular automata model: a case study of xuzhou city, china

Understanding and predicting of the urban growth process and its impact have become increasingly important for decision making toward sustainable development. In this paper, we presented a cellular automata model to assess the consequence of future urban growth. The hybrid calibration method combining logistic regression with trial-and-error was applied to estimate the parameters. The study proposed the integration method of Multi-Criteria Evaluation and Analytic Hierarchy Process that can be utilized to effectively translate the qualitative descriptions of scenarios into quantitative spatial analysis. Finally, the comparison of the different scenarios provided an insight into the impacts of different urban development strategies on landscape patterns. The result indicates that CA model can be effectively connected with the urban decision making processes. The moderate development scenario could be considered as the best one in achieving the objectives of compact urban form, good residential environment, as well as environmentally and economically efficient development.

Recent Progress in Urbanisation Dynamics Research

This book is dedicated to urbanization, which is observed every day, as well as the methods and techniques of monitoring and analyzing this phenomenon. In the 21st century, urbanization has gained momentum, and the awareness of the significance and influence of this phenomenon on our lives make us take a closer look at it not only with curiosity, but also great attention. There are numerous reasons for this, among which the economy is of special significance, but it also has many results, namely, economic, social, and environmental. First of all, it is a spatial phenomenon, as all of the aspects can be placed in space. We would therefore like to draw special attention to the results of urbanization seen on the Earth's surface and in the surrounding space. The urbanization–land relation seems obvious, but is also interesting and multi-layered. The development of science and technology provides a lot of new tools for observing urbanization, as well as the analyses and inference of the phenomenon in space. This book is devoted to in-depth analysis of past, present and future urbanization processes all over the world. We present the latest trends of research that use experience in the widely understood geography of the area. This book is focused on multidisciplinary phenomenon, i.e., urbanization, with the use of the satellite and photogrammetric observation technologies and GIS analyses

Geosimulation and Multicriteria Modelling of Residential Land Development in the City of Tehran: A Comparative Analysis of Global and Local Models

Conventional models for simulating land-use patterns are insufficient in addressing complex dynamics of urban systems. A new generation of urban models, inspired by research on cellular automata and multi-agent systems, has been proposed to address the drawbacks of conventional modelling. This new generation of urban models is called geosimulation. Geosimulation attempts to model macro-scale patterns using micro-scale urban entities such as vehicles, homeowners, and households. The urban entities are represented by agents in the geosimulation modelling. Each type of agents has different preferences and priorities and shows different behaviours. In the land-use modelling context, the behaviour of agents is their ability to evaluate the suitability of parcels of land using a number of factors (criteria and constraints), and choose the best land(s) for a specific purpose. Multicriteria analysis provides a set of methods and procedures that can be used in the geosimulation modelling to describe the behaviours of agents. There are three main objectives of this research. First, a framework for integrating multicriteria models into geosimulation procedures is developed to simulate residential development in the City of Tehran. Specifically, the local form of multicriteria models is used as a method for modelling agents’ behaviours. Second, the framework is tested in the context of residential land development in Tehran between 1996 and 2006. The empirical research is focused on identifying the spatial patterns of land suitability for residential development taking into account the preferences of three groups of actors (agents): households, developers, and local authorities. Third, a comparative analysis of the results of the geosimulation-multicriteria models is performed. A number of global and local geosimulation-multicriteria models (scenarios) of residential development in Tehran are defined and then the results obtained by the scenarios are evaluated and examined. The output of each geosimulation-multicriteria model is compared to the results of other models and to the actual pattern of land-use in Tehran. The analysis is focused on comparing the results of the local and global geosimulation-multicriteria models. Accuracy measures and spatial metrics are used in the comparative analysis. The results suggest that, in general, the local geosimulation-multicriteria models perform better than the global methods

Developing a Suitability Index for Residential Land Use: A case study in Dianchi Drainage Area

The conflict between residential land and agriculture land in China is increasingly sharpened, especially when some urban development began to sprawl to the suburban and rural areas. In order to plan land resources properly, land suitability assessment is often conducted to determine which type of land use is most appropriate for a particular location. The main objective of this study is to examine how land suitability assessment methods could be used in land planning processes in the Dianchi Drainage Area (DDA) in Southwest China to identify where future residential development should be located. The 1991 Toronto Waterfront Plan and the more recent 2005 Ontario Greenbelt Plan are examined and used to develop a framework which describes the potential for land suitability assessment in the DDA. Data limitations did not permit a suitability analysis to be completed for the DDA, however a description of methodologies for conducting residential land suitability analysis and required data are presented based on a review of relevant literature. The paper concludes with a discussion of the feasibility of land suitability in the DDA and other areas in China and also suggests opportunities for future research

Sustainable Geotechnics—Theory, Practice, and Applications

Today, modern Geotechnical Engineers, who in the past would have considered the phenomena occurring in the (primarily soil) environment, are faced with developments in environmental sciences that are becoming increasingly more detailed and sophisticated, with the natural phenomena and processes surrounding the civil engineering infrastructure being modeled, designed, monitored, and assessed in a more holistic way. This book brings together the state of the art in geotechnics with a focus on sustainable design, resilience, construction, and monitoring of the performance of geotechnical assets from ground investigations, through foundation and drainage design to soil stabilization and reinforcement. Engineers and scientists working in the fields of green infrastructure, nature-based solutions, sustainable drainage, eco-engineering, hydro-geology, landscape planning, plant science, environmental biology or bio-chemistry, earth sciences, GIS, and remote sensing are represented here by articles that show significant geotechnical components or applications. Case studies showcasing the application of the sustainable development principles (e.g., reuse, recycle, reduce; stakeholder engagement; public health; UN Global Sustainability Goals) in Geotechnics are also included in this book

Sustainability as a Multi-criteria Concept

Sustainability is a fairly old concept, born in the 18th century in the field of forestry, within a mono-functionality perspective. The concept has considerably evolved in the last few years towards a multi-functionality context, with applications reported in practically all areas of economic interest. On the other hand, modern sustainability is a complex problem, for two reasons: a) The multiplicity of functions of a very different nature involved in the process and b) The manner in which different segments of the society or stakeholders perceive the relative importance of these functions. For the above reasons, a realistic approach for dealing with the sustainability issue requires taking into consideration multiple criteria of different nature (economic, environmental and social), and in many cases within a participatory decision making framework. This book presents a collection of papers, dealing with different theoretical and applied issues of sustainability, with the help of a modern multi-criteria decision-making theory, with a single as well as several stakeholders involved in the decision-making process. Hopefully, this material will encourage academics and practitioners to alter their research in this hot and vital topic. After all, the sustainable management of the environment and its embedded resources is one of the most important, if not the major challenge of the 21st century