JavaAHP: a web-based decision analysis tool for natural resource and environmental management

Abstract

Natural resource and environmental management invariably involves multiple issues, multiple criteria and multiple stakeholders. A large amount of social, economic and environmental information needs to be linked to government policies, stakeholder values, public opinions and management goals. A systematic approach to decision analysis involved in natural resource and environmental management is required to improve the quality of the decision and justify the actions to be taken. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) provides a methodology for multi-criteria analysis and decision making. It allows critical examination of the underlying assumptions, consistency of the judgements, and facilitates the incorporation of qualitative and subjective considerations into quantitative factors for decision making. JavaAHP is a software tool, which implements the AHP. It uses the AHP methodology to model an environmental problem, evaluate relative desirability of alternatives, and organise the information and judgements used in decision making. JavaAHP is deployed on the World Wide Web (WWW) and can be accessed globally. It takes advantages of the WWW with wide availability, Web resource integration and cross-platform capabilities. This paper introduces the major features of JavaAHP and its potential applications in natural resource and environmental management.