The identification of sites for locating new natural systems for wastewater treatment (NSWT), suc... more The identification of sites for locating new natural systems for wastewater treatment (NSWT), such as stabilization ponds and constructed wetlands, should combine multiple crucial factors (environmental, design, social and economic), and thus the implementation of multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) methods is required. In addition, the spatial nature of the site selection process necessitates the use of geographic information systems (GISs) because they are unanimously recognized as the most appropriate tool capable of supporting sophisticated spatial decision making. The resulting multicriteria spatial decision support systems (MC-SDSSs) provide a consistent framework for dealing with conflicting objectives while integrating the decision makers' (DMs') preferences in spatially related patterns/problems. A map-based, interactive UTAII implementation is presented, which provides a link between a well-understood decision support method and exploratory geographic visualization. Spatial UTA (S-UTA) is applied in a real case study concerning the ranking of candidate sites for implementing natural systems for wastewater treatment in the Evros–Rodopi prefectures of northeastern Greece. Finally, the obtained results are compared with those derived using other MCDM approaches to evaluate the performance of S-UTA in GIS-based land use suitability analyses. Publication Date: May 3, 2013 Publication Name: Journal of Environmental Management
Regarding the inability to fulfill regional landfill demands, the inefficiency of municipal solid... more Regarding the inability to fulfill regional landfill demands, the inefficiency of municipal solid waste management systems due to shortages of suitable and efficient infrastructures remains a crucial social issue. In addition, the fact that there are numerous environmental, social, and design factors that need to be taken into account by decision makers (DMs) raises serious concerns regarding the task of identifying appropriate sites for municipal solid waste landfills. For this reason, the use of multicriteria spatial decision support systems, the synergic combination of geographic information system (GIS) and multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) methods, is proposed, taking into consideration the spatial nature of the problem and the need to incorporate conflicting objectives and DM preferences. The paper at hand proposes a framework that enables the implementation of the measuring attractiveness by a categorical based evaluation technique (MACBETH) method in GIS-based raster-driven suitability analysis. MACBETH is a well-established MCDA method for the evaluation of alternative actions/scenarios based on qualitative judgments regarding their attractiveness to a DM. A real-world case study concerning the placement of a landfill in the region of Thrace, northeastern Greece, is discussed in detail. The computational part of the MACBETH method is supported by the M-MACBETH decision support system. The proposed framework consists of an attempt that allows MACBETH implementation in GIS-based raster-driven suitability analysis. In addition, a comparative analysis with other well-known methods was conducted showing that the proposed framework produces sufficient results.
In this paper, we propose a process that combines the Risk Matrix approach with the Technique for... more In this paper, we propose a process that combines the Risk Matrix approach with the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) and the Monte Carlo Simulation for assessing risk factors that have an impact on the duration of a construction project’s activities and predict if it is feasible to terminate the project within the prescribed deadlines. Initially, we identified the risks affecting each task of the specific project, and then, we applied the risk matrix approach for determining the probability and impact of every risk to each activity. The resulting ranking is used to assign uncertainty to activities’ durations and estimate the probability of on-time project completion, employing the Monte Carlo Simulation approach. The main contribution of this paper is the development of an innovative framework that coordinates an established qualitative and quantitative risk classification approach, with a popular multicriteria method and a powerful simulati...
The identification of sites for locating new natural systems for wastewater treatment (NSWT), suc... more The identification of sites for locating new natural systems for wastewater treatment (NSWT), such as stabilization ponds and constructed wetlands, should combine multiple crucial factors (environmental, design, social and economic), and thus the implementation of multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) methods is required. In addition, the spatial nature of the site selection process necessitates the use of geographic information systems (GISs) because they are unanimously recognized as the most appropriate tool capable of supporting sophisticated spatial decision making. The resulting multicriteria spatial decision support systems (MC-SDSSs) provide a consistent framework for dealing with conflicting objectives while integrating the decision makers' (DMs') preferences in spatially related patterns/problems. A map-based, interactive UTAII implementation is presented, which provides a link between a well-understood decision support method and exploratory geographic visualization. Spatial UTA (S-UTA) is applied in a real case study concerning the ranking of candidate sites for implementing natural systems for wastewater treatment in the Evros–Rodopi prefectures of northeastern Greece. Finally, the obtained results are compared with those derived using other MCDM approaches to evaluate the performance of S-UTA in GIS-based land use suitability analyses. Publication Date: May 3, 2013 Publication Name: Journal of Environmental Management
Regarding the inability to fulfill regional landfill demands, the inefficiency of municipal solid... more Regarding the inability to fulfill regional landfill demands, the inefficiency of municipal solid waste management systems due to shortages of suitable and efficient infrastructures remains a crucial social issue. In addition, the fact that there are numerous environmental, social, and design factors that need to be taken into account by decision makers (DMs) raises serious concerns regarding the task of identifying appropriate sites for municipal solid waste landfills. For this reason, the use of multicriteria spatial decision support systems, the synergic combination of geographic information system (GIS) and multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) methods, is proposed, taking into consideration the spatial nature of the problem and the need to incorporate conflicting objectives and DM preferences. The paper at hand proposes a framework that enables the implementation of the measuring attractiveness by a categorical based evaluation technique (MACBETH) method in GIS-based raster-driven suitability analysis. MACBETH is a well-established MCDA method for the evaluation of alternative actions/scenarios based on qualitative judgments regarding their attractiveness to a DM. A real-world case study concerning the placement of a landfill in the region of Thrace, northeastern Greece, is discussed in detail. The computational part of the MACBETH method is supported by the M-MACBETH decision support system. The proposed framework consists of an attempt that allows MACBETH implementation in GIS-based raster-driven suitability analysis. In addition, a comparative analysis with other well-known methods was conducted showing that the proposed framework produces sufficient results.
In this paper, we propose a process that combines the Risk Matrix approach with the Technique for... more In this paper, we propose a process that combines the Risk Matrix approach with the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) and the Monte Carlo Simulation for assessing risk factors that have an impact on the duration of a construction project’s activities and predict if it is feasible to terminate the project within the prescribed deadlines. Initially, we identified the risks affecting each task of the specific project, and then, we applied the risk matrix approach for determining the probability and impact of every risk to each activity. The resulting ranking is used to assign uncertainty to activities’ durations and estimate the probability of on-time project completion, employing the Monte Carlo Simulation approach. The main contribution of this paper is the development of an innovative framework that coordinates an established qualitative and quantitative risk classification approach, with a popular multicriteria method and a powerful simulati...
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Publication Date: May 3, 2013
Publication Name: Journal of Environmental Management
Publication Date: May 3, 2013
Publication Name: Journal of Environmental Management