Multicriteria Analysis

Multicriteria analysis is one of the most important fields of decision science. This book gives an outline of the formulation of an appropriate model and presents a comprehensive summary of the most popular methods for solving multicriteria decision problems. In addition to the classical approach the book introduces fuzzy and stochastic methodology, models with uncertainty, social choice and conflict resolution. All methods are illustrated with easy to follow simple examples. At the end of each chapter detailed case studies are given in water and environment management including inter-basin water transfer, urban water management, water allocation, groundwater quality management, forest treatment, ranking water resources projects, reservoir planning, water distribution network design and long-term watershed management. The new methodology and the wide variety of case studies are not easily accessible elsewhere.

Dr. Mahdi Zarghami is now assistant professor at the University of Tabriz, Iran. His main research and teaching fields are water resources management including water governance. He was visiting scholar at the University of Arizona and graduated PhD from Sharif University of Technology, Iran on watershed management at 2007. Some of his peer refereed papers are published in Water Resources Management, Journal of Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment, Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management, ASCE, Water International, Information Science, European Journal of Operational Research and etc. He also presented about 40 papers in national and international conferences in the fields of OR and water resources management.Prof. Ferenc Szidarovszkyreceived his Ph.D. in Mathematics from Eotvos University of Sciences of Budapest, Hungary, and a second Ph.D in economics from the Budapest University of Economic Sciences. He is also a recipient of two higher scientific degrees given by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. In Hungary he held faculty positions with the Eotvos University of Sciences, University of Horticulture and Food Industry as well as with the Budapest University of Economic Sciences. Dr. Szidarovszky moved to the USA in 1987 and became a professor with the Systems and Industrial Engineering Department at the University of Arizona, and subsequently received a joint appointment with the Department of Hydrology and Water Resources. He has collaborated extensively with Dr. Vernon Smith, co-recipient of the 2002 Nobel Prize in Economics, and has been involved in many projects investigating theoretical issues and applications in mathematics, economics, and natural resources management. Dr. Szidarovszky is the author of 8 textbooks written in Hungarian, and he has published 11 textbooks and monographs in the USA. He is also the author of over 250 research publications in leading journals and has given many presentations in conferences around the world. He was recognized with the prestigious award (1998) “Dr. Habil in Engineering”, Budapest Technical University.