Application of MCDM for biologically based management scenario analysis in integrated catchment assessment and management

The development and implementation of practical natural resources and catchment management policies require a comprehensive knowledge of the system processes (biological, physical, and socioeconomic), their complicated interactions, and how they react to different changes. The current research assessed the ecological, physical, and socioeconomic consequences of biologically based management scenarios targeting runoff and soil erosion problems in the Darenari catchment. The Darenari catchment with an approximate area of 554 ha is located in Fars Province, Iran. Three biological activities and 8 management scenarios were considered. Ecological consequences were studied using the weighted land cover area index. Physical effects were investigated applying the Soil Conservation Service hydrologic model. Economic and social effects were assessed applying the cost/benefit-analysis as well as examining the outcomes of a social survey. The best scenarios were identified applying a multiple-criteria decision-making technique. A fuzzy analytic hierarchy process approach was applied to weight the criteria. The results indicated that multiple-criteria decision-making is a useful technique for demonstrating the catchment system as a whole, to integrate output from models and expert judgments.