Multicriteria approach for process modelling in strategic environmental management planning

Abstract The objective of this paper is to propose a multicriteria methodological approach based on the Analytic Network Process methodology (ANP) in order to examine the scope and feasibility of a process modelling integrated with public participation for environmental assessment. In fact, environmental challenges decisions are often characterized by complexity, irreversibility and uncertainty. Much of the complexity arises from the multiple-use nature of goods and services, difficulty in monetary valuation of ecological services and the involvement of numerous stakeholders. From this point of view multicriteria techniques and process modelling are considered as a promising framework to take into account conflictual, multidimensional, incommensurable and uncertain effects of decisions explicitly. In particular the integration of ANP with tools for public participation and process modelling pose certain methodological challenges, but provide an innovative approach to designing the scope of the environmental assessment and defining and assessing alternatives.