Impact and Potential of Decision Research on Decision Aiding

In this paper, an expedited multi-criteria decision analysis framework, capable of tackling several dimensions for the choice of sanitation services, at an early planning stage is presented. The approach combines geographic information systems aided analysis for onsite solutions, with a multi-criteria decision analysis tool capable of suggesting and ranking several viable offsite treatment alternatives, according to the desired criteria. The framework was applied to four coastal cities in Northern Angola, one of the sub-Saharan countries of the west coast of Africa, thus obtaining an indication for city-wide solutions, as an aid to achieve the goal of ensuring full sanitation coverage in those four locations. It included possible onsite collection and storage interfaces, namely Ventilated Improved Pit latrines, fossa alterna, septic tanks or conventional sewer systems. The study also contributed to an informed decision regarding optimal offsite treatment facility type, namely based on dedicated or combined wastewater and faecal sludge treatment (co-treatment), as well as different options for locations and sanitation technologies. Alternatives were compared and ranked according to ten main criteria concerning social, economic, technological and environmental aspects. This work helped demonstrate the usefulness of decision-aiding tools in the multi-stakeholder and complex context of sanitation in a developing country.

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Decision aiding handbooks for managing contaminated food production systems, drinking water and inhabited areas in Europe

Radioprotection ◽

10.1051/radiopro/2010014 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 45 (5) ◽

pp. S23-S37 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

A.F. Nisbet ◽

J. Brown ◽

B.J. Howard ◽

N.A. Beresford ◽

H. Ollagnon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Drinking Water ◽

Food Production ◽

Production Systems ◽

Decision Aiding ◽

Contaminated Food

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Conference Report: WORKSHOP ON "LINKING IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT TOOLS"

Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management ◽

10.1142/s1464333202001170 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 04 (04) ◽

pp. 465-474 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

WILLIAM R. SHEATE

Keyword(s):

Sustainable Development ◽

Impact Assessment ◽

Environmental Assessment ◽

Conference Report ◽

Management Tools ◽

Decision Aiding ◽

Sustainability Appraisal

As the concepts associated with sustainable development mature, and new and modified decision aiding tools are developed, so links between environmental assessment and management tools become all the more essential. Increasingly there is experience of trying to make links between tools, e.g. EIA/SEA and EMS, LCA and SEA, SEA and sustainability appraisal etc. The purpose of this workshop was to exchange experience and to discuss theoretical and practical linkages between tools that can be made and further developed.

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