Multicriteria decision analysis for the evaluation of water quality improvement and ecosystem service provision

McInnes, Robert; Smith, Graham; Greaves, Julian; Watson, David; Wood, Nikki; Everard, Mark

Abstract

© 2016 CIWEM Water and land management decisions require consideration of multiple factors. Multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) provides a structured, auditable and transparent tool that helps inform and add rigour to multioption decisions. MCDA was used in a payment for ecosystem services (PES) project to evaluate options for delivering good ecological status in Tortworth Brook, Gloucestershire, UK. Following a process of stakeholder engagement, final options considered were: (1) doing nothing; (2) modifying existing sewage treatment works; (3) a single integrated constructed wetland (ICW) targeting multiple ecosystem service outcomes; and (4) catchment wide multiple ICWs. The analysis concluded that the ‘do nothing’ option and modifying the existing works are both likely to provide poor utility and value for money. Both ICW options offered the greatest utility in terms of optimising the benefits to all stakeholders.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 1, 2016
• Publication Date: Sep 1, 2016
• Deposit Date: Sep 26, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 14, 2017
• Journal: Water and Environment Journal
• Print ISSN: 17476585
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 30
• Issue: 3-4
• Pages: 298-309
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/wej.12195
• Keywords: ecosystem services, integrated constructed wetlands, MCDA, water quality
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/908633
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/wej.12195
• Additional Information: Additional Information : This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: McInnes, R., Smith, G., Greaves, J., Watson, D., Wood, N. and Everard, M. (2016) Multicriteria decision analysis for the evaluation of water quality improvement and ecosystem service provision. Water and Environment Journal, which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/wej.12195. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.
• Contract Date: Sep 26, 2016