Multi-criteria Evaluation Method Research Articles

Machine Learning–Based Prediction of Irradiation-Induced Swelling from Synergistic Effects of Helium and Hydrogen

Understanding irradiation-induced degradation processes of nuclear structural materials is essential for creating methodologies and procedures for nuclear reactor safety. Due to the time- and resource-intensive property of both experiments and multiscale simulations of irradiation damage, the trial-and-error approach is completely inefficient. Recently, machine learning techniques have been employed to predict the properties of reduced activation ferritic martensitic (RAFM) steels, such as yield strength and elongation, as well as irradiation embrittlement in steel pressure vessels, with encouraging progress. In this work, void swelling is predicted using a machine learning method for the first time, taking into account the synergistic effects of displacement damage, helium, and hydrogen. Assisted by the analysis of feature engineering, seven machine learning models are trained and compared by multicriteria evaluation methods. Finally, the parameter-optimized gradient-boosting model is selected as the mapping function with the highest accuracy and universality to predict void swelling. In particular, the dependence of the void swelling and the injection amount of helium and hydrogen in the continuous parameter variation range is predicted beyond the existing experimental data. This work demonstrates the feasibility of machine learning to predict material irradiation damage by synergistic effects and has practical significance in nuclear material optimization and reactor safety.

Application of GIS and fuzzy sets to small-scale site suitability assessment for extensive brackish water aquaculture

ABSTRACT The rapid expansion of extensive brackish water aquaculture (BA) in Indonesia has created an urgent need to develop effective and reliable methods to evaluate and select sites suitable for aquaculture development. The lack of supporting spatial data at appropriate scales has limited the application of GIS-based multi-criteria evaluation methods (MCEs) in Indonesia. This study presents alternative fuzzy-based Geographic Information System (GIS) methods to evaluate and select sites suitable for extensive brackish water aquaculture. This study successfully produced fuzzy set maps from a water availability sub-model, a land conversion sub-model and a green belt buffer zone sub-model. With grades of membership, the fuzzy set maps provide smooth class boundary representation, which creates more options for decision-making than a map classified with crisp logic. Combining these sub-models produced an overall site suitability map at the scale of 1:50,000 for the study region. This final suitability map effectively excluded more than 95% of the unsuitable area for BA. This broad-scale site suitability assessment approach is a helpful planning tool to promote Indonesia’s sustainable development of extensive brackish water aquaculture. It identifies possible conflicts in land uses and considers conservation issues early in the planning process. The output can be used to scope research areas for more detailed investigations in countries where BA is a vital livelihood.

Multi-criteria thermo-economic analysis of solar-driven tri-generation systems equipped with organic Rankine cycle and bottoming absorption refrigeration and Kalina cycles

Optimal thermo-economic integration of renewable energy sources with multi-generation energy systems is a prime research topic today. The present study proposes a multi-criteria evaluation method of such integration, based on combined heating and power (CHP), and combined cooling and power (CCP) scenarios, for three different solar intensities. Three novel solar-driven tri-generation systems are selected. They include different organic Rankine cycle (ORC) architectures and a Kalina cycle system (KCS) and a double-effect absorption refrigeration cycle as bottoming cycles. Evaluation of the tri-generation systems, both with and without the KCS system, indicates a performance improvement of up to 23% in various thermoeconomic characteristics when the KCS system is present. Selection of the suitable tri-generation system for each condition and optimization of the working fluid are carried out based on a multi-attribute decision-making method. P-xylene is found as the optimal organic working fluid for ORC and ORC (ORC integrated with internal heat exchanger) based systems, and benzene for the regenerative ORC-based system in both CHP and CCP scenarios. Multi-criteria analysis shows that ORC-based system outperforms other systems with net outranking flow of 0.44 (0.39) for CHP (CCP) application. The optimal configuration gives 95.6 M$ and 1.99 years for net present value and dynamic payback period, and 83.03% and 34.55% for energy and exergy efficiencies, respectively.

Tsunami Susceptibility Assessment Using Spatial Multi-Criteria Evaluation in Watukarung, Pacitan

Tsunamis are natural hazards that have the potential to cause significant damage and losses to the South Coast of Java. As the initial foundation for local spatial planning and risk reduction, preparing a tsunami susceptibility mapping is imperative to minimize the disaster's impact. This study aims to identify the spatial distribution of tsunami susceptibility in Watukarung Village, Pacitan Regency, using the Spatial Multi-Criteria Evaluation (SMCE) method. The variables involved in the modeling include landform, elevation, slope, distance from the shoreline, and distance from the river. The value and weight of each factor were determined using the pairwise technique in the SMCE framework. The research results indicated that the tsunami susceptibility in Watukarung comprises four classes: safe (598.40 ha), low (9.68 ha), moderate (23.92 ha), and high (25.13 ha). The areas most prone to tsunamis are generally identified in the southern part of Watukarung, which is generally associated with beach or alluvial plain landforms, very close to shore, and low land elevation. Ironically, human settlements and coastal tourism are overgrowing in the tsunami-prone zone, highlighting that risk reduction measures must be implemented optimally to anticipate tsunami hazards. As a recommendation, further research must be carried out to comprehensively represent the tsunami risk in the Watukarung coastal region. Keyword: Tsunami, Susceptibility, Spatial Multi-Criteria Evaluation, Watukarung, PacitanÂ

Exploring stakeholders’ ecosystem services perceptions across Massachusetts Bays using deliberative valuation

Deliberative methods to assess ecosystem services values formalize community members’ and stakeholders’ involvement in decision-making related to natural resources management. This paper presents the methodological design and the application of a deliberative multicriteria evaluation (DMCE) method that combines the advantages of deliberation with structured decision-making to assess community-based values of four coastal ecosystem services (valued by indicators such as Total Nitrogen, Blue Carbon, Scallop Landings, Fish Abundance) and explore the spatial variability of group values along the Massachusetts coastline. We implemented four virtual deliberative workshops consisting of stakeholders from four Massachusetts Bays (MassBays) estuarine categorizations to collect quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data came from individual survey results and group preferences, while qualitative data were derived through the analysis of video recordings and transcripts of deliberations. Compared to previous studies, we combined quantitative and qualitative data by using applied thematic and co-occurrence analysis to identify themes of discussion during the deliberative process. Our results show that coastal stakeholders place a particular emphasis on access to clean water and services that directly support human wellbeing and provide direct economic benefits. Differences in the quantitative and qualitative results of these deliberative tasks between groups provide insight into the need for localized policymaking instead of solely regional or statewide management. Environmental managers and policymakers will utilize these insights to address local values and priorities as they work towards implementing habitat restoration efforts.

Developing smart sustainable irrigation matrix (SIM)-based model for selection of best irrigation techniques: A framework to achieve SDGs

Adopting sustainable agriculture practices using multi-criteria evaluation methods couldn't adequately describe the correlation between the irrigation techniques and most of the environmental and techno-economic factors. Hence, this study developed a novel sustainable irrigation matrix (SIM)-related model to evaluate four irrigation scenarios (a combination of furrow and drip techniques and chemical and nanomaterial fertilizers) in tomato cultivation to fulfill the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and their targets. The SIM model included main criteria (three sustainability pillars), and sub-criteria, i.e., irrigation water and nitrogen use efficiency, nitrate leaching, N2O emission, energy input, crop yield, net return, hired farmworkers, education level, and percentage of irrigated area. Data collection included a pot-scale experiment, literature studies, and questionnaires. Results demonstrated that drip/nano-fertilization (DN) was the best irrigation technique, and it was highly influenced by the economic and environmental dimensions, followed by the social pillar of sustainability. Moreover, DN achieved the highest scores on all SDGs except for SDG5 “gender equality” and SDG16 “peace, justice and participation”. These findings were verified by employing sensitivity analysis and an AHP-TOPSIS model, revealing the sustainability of DN irrigation. The study concluded that the proposed SIM-based model could be employed to ensure the sustainable performance of crop irrigation treatments worldwide.

The use of phase diagrams when choosing optimal routes in the waters of the Northern Sea Route

A method for choosing optimal shipping routes using phase diagrams is developed in the paper. The topic and purpose of the study is directly related to the tasks, the implementation of which is provided for by the Plan of the Northern Sea Route Development, approved by the decree of the Government of the Russian Federation on August 1, 2022, confirmed by the financing program for the development and implementation of the digital platform of the Northern Sea Route, approved by the Government in mid-January 2023. The assessment of the current state of the shipping routes network, navigation, hydrographic and hydro meteorological support is given. The use of the method of multi-criteria evaluation of alternative routes based on a variety of safety criteria depending on the depths, ice conditions, tightness of the water area and hydrographic study of the bottom relief is justified. The dependence of the safety criteria on the draft of the vessel, its icebreaking ability and maneuverable elements is established. A method of comparative assessment of shipping routes for settlement vessels according to four main criteria has been developed. A scheme for calculating quantitative safety indicators is proposed. A procedure for normalizing indicators has been developed. A three-level scale for assessing the safety of shipping routes has been introduced. A methodology for ranking shipping routes and culling the routes assessed as dangerous and forming a set of routes assessed as safe is proposed. The method was tested using a model of the passage of an Arc4 ice category vessel with a draft of 9 m along eight alternative routes of the East Siberian Sea. A set of phase diagrams of alternative routes constructed according to pairs of basic safety criteria is presented. The states of routes are analyzed with the application of the Pareto efficient solution rule to the selection of optimal routes. It is noted that the use of phase diagrams can be extended to a larger number of indicators affecting the efficiency and safety of vessels navigation. Recommendations on the use of the developed method are given. The main directions of further research are determined.

Search for optimal shipping routes in the Arctic seas

A method for choosing optimal shipping routes and determining the conditions under which the Northern Sea Route can be used year-round is developed in the paper. The topic and purpose of the study are directly related to the tasks, the implementation of which is provided by the Development Plan of the Northern Sea Route, approved by the decree of the Government of the Russian Federation on August 1, 2022, confirmed by the financing program for the development and implementation of the digital board of the Northern Sea Route, approved by the Government in mid-January, 2023. The assessment of the current state of the network of shipping routes, navigation, hydrographic and hydro meteorological support, as well as the structure and composition of the Arctic icebreaker and transport fleet is given. The main factors affecting the implementation of the year-round navigation program in the eastern sector of the Arctic include severe ice conditions, unreliable forecasts of the ice situation, the lack of a sufficient number of icebreakers and transport vessels capable of overcoming thick ice fields in the Arctic shallow waters. Based on the results of the review of existing methods for determining safe and cost-effective shipping routes, the basic requirements for methods of choosing optimal routes in the waters of the Arctic seas have been developed. Using the method of multi-criteria evaluation of alternative routes according to a variety of safety criteria depending on the navigation period and the method of transport vessels navigation in ice is justified. A list of information necessary for implementation of the developed multi-criteria method for finding optimal routes and a list of the main stages of its implementation have been compiled. The results of testing the method of comparative evaluation of alternative routes using a set of simulation models are presented. Recommendations on the use of the developed method are given. The main directions of further research are determined.

Инновационные подходы к разработке организационно-технологической документации в транспортном строительстве

Purpose: To determine modern innovative composition of organizational-technological documentationat large transport facility construction. To hold the analysis of branch regulatory-technical documentation,relevant self-regulatory organization requirements. To define classification and specifics of the constructionof new types of large transport facilities which for, organizational-technological documentation is developed.To determine the relevance and practical applicability of documentation as a part of WPP (work productionprojects). To outline the basics of the preparation of transport facility construction organization which comprisesproduction-economic, technological and managerial infrastructure of contractor construction organizations,defines the system of relations between relevant subdivisions of general- and sub-contracting constructionalenterprises. Methods: Questionnaire and expert survey of engineering-technical workers of constructionalorganizations. Expert evaluation of production documentation, probabilistic modeling at the evaluation ofproduction processes, methods of multi-criteria evaluation of organizational-technological documentationvariants. Results: Main requirements to organizational-technological documentation composition for newtypes of modern transport construction facilities are formulated. Foundations for branch methodologicaldocuments on organizational-technological preparatory of work of contracting construction organizations havebeen developed. Practical significance: Efficiency improvement of large transport facility construction. Onthe basis of innovative organizational-technological solutions, prime cost of constructive-installing works isreduced and construction time is cut.

A Strong Sustainability Paradigm based Analytical Hierarchy Process (SSP-AHP) method to evaluate sustainable healthcare systems

The recent studies signify the growing concern of researchers towards monitoring and measuring sustainability performance at various levels and in many fields, including healthcare. However, there is no agreed approach to assessing the sustainability of health systems. Moreover, social indicators are less developed and less succinct. Therefore, with this work, authors seek to map sustainable reference values in healthcare and propose a conceptual and structured framework that can guide the measurement of the social sustainability-oriented health systems. Based on a new multi-criteria method called Strong Sustainability Paradigm based Analytical Hierarchy Process (SSP-AHP), the presented approach opens the availability for systems’ comparison and benchmarking. The Strong Sustainability Paradigm incorporated into the multi-criteria evaluation method prevents the exchangeability of criteria by promoting alternatives that achieve good performance values on all criteria, implying sustainability. The research results offer insights into the core domains, sub-domains, and indicators supporting a more comprehensive assessment of the social sustainability of health systems. The framework constructed in this study consists of five major areas: equity, quality, responsiveness, financial coverage, and adaptability. The proposed set of indicators can also serve as a reference instrument, providing transparency about core aspects of performance to be measured and reported, as well as supporting policy-makers in decisions regarding sectoral strategies in healthcare. Moreover, the presented approach can be helpful while performing cross-national comparisons. Our findings suggest that the most socially sustainable systems are Nordic countries. They offer a high level of social and financial protection, achieving very good health outcomes. Furthermore, their social sustainability is safeguarded by balancing all identified values. On the other hand, the most unsustainable systems, located in central and eastern European countries, have a high level of unmet needs, experiencing shortages in the workforce and underfunding of healthcare. A key challenge for them is to achieve sustainability by increasing the share of public expenditure on health and limiting the substantial dependence on out-of-pocket payments.

An Evaluation Method of Comprehensive Performance of Retrofitted CHP District Heating Systems

There is a big wave in China of retrofitting single-purpose coal-fired systems for district heating into heat-oriented combined heat and power (CHP) systems to save energy. Back-pressure steam turbines (BPSTs) and extraction steam turbines (ESTs) are both common in retrofitted systems, but contrastive analyses of their effects on the systems’ operation performance are lacking. Moreover, comprehensive evaluation methods of the retrofitted systems remain unknown. In this paper, exergy, exergoeconomic, and exergoenvironmental analyses were conducted to evaluate the thermodynamic, economic, and environmental performances of two real CHP systems: system A using a BPST and system B using an EST. Additionally, a new multi-criteria evaluation method based on rank correlation analysis was proposed for the retrofitted system. The results show that system A is better than system B in thermodynamic and environmental aspects but poorer in the economic aspect. Overall, the multi-criteria evaluation result indicates that system A has a better comprehensive performance than system B. Therefore, the BPST has a better effect than the EST on the retrofitted CHP system for district heating in this study. The findings could provide a reference point for retrofitting work in the future.

Discussion on the Enterprise Competitiveness of Taiwan’s Financial Holding Company with TOPSIS Method

TOPSIS evaluation method is the abbreviation of Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution. It is a multi-criteria evaluation method developed by Yoon and Hwang (1981). This method can be used in n project A ={Ai│i=1,2,…,n}, and evaluate under m evaluation criteria C={Cj│j=1,2,…,m}. And the performance value of the Ai project in the Cj criterion can be measured in a quantitative way, so that an evaluation matrix can be constructed to determine the best plan selection. This article uses the TOPSIS method to explore the corporate competitiveness of Taiwan's financial holding companies, and objectively evaluates the order of operating performance of each financial holding company. According to the evaluation indicators selected for financial holding companies in this article, it is found that the top 5 financial holding companies for performance evaluation are China National Bills Financial Holdings (2889), Cathay Pacific Financial Holdings (2882), Fubon Financial Holdings (2881), CITIC Financial Holding (2891) and Development Financial Holding (2883), the results can be used as a reference for the financial industry's operating performance evaluation.

Temporal PROMETHEE II — New multi-criteria approach to sustainable management of alternative fuels consumption

Alternative fuels are the subject of growing interest among both researchers and practitioners. In this aspect, to properly handle the problem of proper evaluating alternative fuels, appropriate methods, and tools are undoubtedly needed. Since the evaluation of sustainable alternative fuels similarly, like most sustainability problems, has a multi-criteria character, multi-criteria methods have the potential to be employed here. Analysis of the alternative fuels domain indicates that classical multi-criteria methods are not exactly suitable for use in cases where, instead of a single matrix for evaluating alternatives, we have a set of them collected for particular periods. Therefore, developing a dedicated approach that considers the specifics of a given problem is necessary. For this purpose, the paper proposes a new Temporal Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluations II (PROMETHEE II) method for multi-criteria temporal evaluation. Hence, the presented method solves the limitations occurring in previously developed multi-criteria methods. In addition to the classical aspect of evaluating the options under consideration, the proposed method makes it possible to accurately grasp the dynamics of the outcomes and put them into an easy-to-interpret result. A practical contribution of the paper is applying the developed method to a multi-criteria temporal evaluation of sustainable consumption of alternative fuels in road transport. For this purpose, an assessment model was built based on the data for 32 European countries acquired from the European Union’s statistical office (Eurostat). Preference imprecision modeling and model sensitivity analysis demonstrated the analytical potential of the developed sustainability assessment model and, simultaneously, the Temporal PROMETHEE method’s superiority. The comparative analysis of the Temporal PROMETHEE II method clearly shows that the results are robust and reliable, and the developed method is suitable for evaluating various temporal sustainability problems. The research demonstrated that a model alternative fuel mix and its shape as well as progression is maintained by Scandinavian countries such as Norway and Sweden.

Effects of forest roads and an assessment of their disturbance of the natural enviroment based on GIS spatial multi-criteria analysis: case study of the University Forest of Taxiarchis, Chalkidiki, Greece

The forest road network contributes to all aspects of the management and protection of natural ecosystems, such as fire protection and access to settlements, infrastructure and forest recreation. This has led to a constant demand for new roads and increased road density in forest areas. However, due to the environmental impact of such roads, a tool that takes into account all the parameters that they affect and evaluates the spatial distribution of forest-road-induced disturbance is needed. The present research highlights a multi-criteria evaluation (MCE), based on a spatial approach that utilizes geographical information systems (GIS), for estimating both the impact of the forest road network and the absorptiveness of the natural environment for that impact. The University Forest of Taxiarchis, Greece, was selected as it combines both timber production and recreation characteristics. Primary data were collected through the management plan for the area and the road network was categorized. A variety of factors regarding forestry, wood extraction methods and production, and social and topographical criteria were examined and scored based on their weighting factors. The results regarding the impact and the absorptiveness were analyzed in order to assess the spatial disturbance. The analysis showed that the spatial environmental impact of the forest roads is crucial and that MCE methods should be applied in environmental impact assessment (EIA) in order to support decision-making systems (DMS) for new road construction and to enhance environmental integration.

Air pollution modeling to support strategic environmental assessment: case study—National Emission Reduction Plan for coal-fired thermal power plants in Serbia

AbstractThe paper presents a specific method of environmental impact assessment applied in Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for the National Emission Reduction Plan (NERP) in the Republic of Serbia, based on air quality. The specificity of the approach is in the application of a semiquantitative method of multicriteria evaluation based on air dispersion modeling and the integration of SEA goals, indicators and criteria for assessing the impact of the NERP on the quality of air and other environmental elements in this method. When predicting changes in air quality for the planning horizon to 2028, the physical, geographical and climatic characteristics of the area were taken into account, as well as technical measures to reduce SO2 emissions, since this was the dominant pollutant from the Serbian coal-fired power plants studied by the NERP. Air pollution modeling was carried out using the AERMOD software package based on the data collected, and the quantitative results obtained were used in a multicriteria evaluation as part of the SEA. The results of the research indicated the importance of applying this approach in order to significantly increase objectivity in the SEA process, since it is an important element of decision making at the strategic level. In addition, a comparative presentation of the modeling results before and after application of the NERP was an important part of the SEA process, and it provided a clear insight into expected changes in the air quality. This is a key argument for making appropriate policy decisions on spatial, energy, environmental and socio-economic development in the Republic of Serbia, which, like other developing countries, is sluggishly following global trends in energy transition.

Recreation Potential Assessment at Tamarix Forest Reserves: A Method Based on Multicriteria Evaluation Approach and Landscape Metrics

The purpose of this study was to develop new methods to describe outdoor recreation potential based on landscape indicators and systemic multicriteria evolution in the Tamarix forest reserves of Varamin city, a part of Iranian–Turanian forests of the Tehran province in Iran. First, in conducting a multicriteria evaluation, ecological factors that included slope, aspect, elevation, vegetation density, precipitation, temperature, and soil texture were mapped, classified, and coded according to the degree of desirability for outdoor recreation. All these maps were then intersected and the final map of recreational potential for three regions of the forest reserves was prepared. Results showed that the Shokrabad region had more recreation potential than the other two regions (Fakhrabad and Dolatabad) in terms of the sum of ecological factors potentially affecting tourism potential. Second, in conducting a landscape-based method, six of the most important indicators of the landscape that are effective in outdoor recreational potential were developed for each region. The combination of these landscape features determined the value of a place for recreational activities from a landscape perspective. The results showed that a large part of the Shokrabad region and a smaller number of places in the Fakhrabad and Dolatabad regions have high outdoor recreational potential. The area suitable for recreation in the output of the multicriteria evaluation method turned out to be greater than the area suggested by the landscape method, as more factors were examined in the multicriteria evaluation method. Of the set investigated, the topography and soil factors played an important role in the evaluation.

Spatiotemporal heterogeneity correction in land ecosystem services and its value assessment: a case study of the Loess Plateau of China.

The considerable variation in structures and functions of different ecosystems leads to highly variable ecosystem service values (ESVs). Consequently, the accurate quantification of ESVs can better assess and reflect impacts of land use and cover changes (LUCC) on ecosystem services. In the land use simulations of this study, a CA-Markov model was chosen and nine factors affecting land use change were evaluated, followed by the construction of a multi-criteria evaluation method to simulate land use scenarios between 2025 and 2030 on the Loess Plateau. Six key ecological indicators (economy, water production, net primary plant productivity, habitat quality, accessibility, and soil conservation) were used to correct for spatiotemporal heterogeneity within the terrestrial ESV equivalent weight table for China to obtain an ESV equivalent weight factor table that is applicable to the Loess Plateau. Using the newly corrected table, ESVs for the Loess Plateau region were estimated between 1995 and 2030, and the impacts of LUCC on ESVs were analyzed. The Kappa values for the 2015 land use simulation results were 0.80 and 0.83, which were greater than 0.75, indicating that the CA-Markov model simulations were accurate. Throughout the study period, the largest increases in land use type area were for built-up areas and forest lands, with built-up areas primarily derived from conversions of cultivated lands and grasslands, and forest land increases primarily coming from conversion of grasslands. ESVs increased overall by 933.97 × 108 yuan and 312.86 × 108 yuan from 1995 to 2018 and 2018 to 2030, respectively. The three largest contributors to ecosystem services among land use types were moderate grasses, shrublands, and dense grasslands. In conclusion, ESVs for the Loess Plateau steadily increased year by year from 1995 to 2030, indicating that ecological restoration projects played major roles in improving the stability and sustainability of the region's ecosystems.

Digital transformation and ICT sector performance in EU countries

Digital transformation is now one of the most important topics in all EU countries in creating and managing strategies and visions for states, businesses, organizations, and citizens. The ICT sector is currently one of the most important sectors with significant added value. The main purpose of the paper is to identify the efficiency of the digitalization of the economy and society concerning the performance of the ICT sector. This paper uses multi-criteria efficiency evaluation methods – Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA models). Inputs in the basic DEA model are the dimensions’ values of the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), which are also used to express the DESI summary indicator, such as human capital, connectivity, digital technology integration, and digital public services. Output in the DEA model indicates the ICT share of GDP. Finally, output-oriented DEA models are used to express the efficiency score. The analysis results show that Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, and Malta have a below-average level of DESI, but they can be classified as efficient. Italy, Lithuania, and Slovenia are the worst performers in the efficiency score. The next step was to express the efficiency scores in the DEA models in terms of different combinations of inputs and outputs. Malta was efficient in all fifteen DEA models. Based on these findings, Malta is considered significantly positive. Its approaches can serve as an example for other countries. AcknowledgmentThis paper was supported by the Slovak Ministry of Education’s Scientific Grant Agency VEGA: “Digital Economy and Changes in the Education System as a Reflection on Labor Market Requirements”. Project registration number: [Reg. No.: 1/0689/20].

Assessment of Attractiveness of the Baltic States for Foreign Direct Investment: The TOPSIS Approach

Foreign investment is one of the driving forces of a country’s economy. The global foreign direct investment (FDI) flows in 2020 amounted to USD 1 trillion, but FDI distribution varies from country to country. Here, the questions arise as to what determines the choice of foreign investors, what the countries can do/are doing to attract FDI, and which Baltic states are the most attractive for FDI. Based on the scientific literature analysis, the definitions of FDI and the attractiveness for FDI, as referred to in the empirical study, are reviewed; the factors affecting FDI are singled out, and the methods/models that are applicable for assessing FDI are investigated. The major purpose of the article is to assess the attractiveness of the Baltic states for foreign direct investment. Research methods: comparative analysis of the concepts and methods available in the scientific literature, secondary data analysis, statistical data processing, and multi-criteria evaluation methods. The results of the assessment of the attractiveness of the Baltic states for foreign direct investment that were determined by applying the TOPSIS multi-criteria evaluation method helped to determine a country’s position in relation to its neighbors and revealed the criteria that weaken or strengthen this position. The results of the research can help the leaders of the states to select the relevant measures to improve their state’s FDI attractiveness in relation to other states.

Identification and management of land use conflicts in mining cities: A case study of Shuozhou in China

While mining promotes rapid urban development, it also aggravates land use conflicts and threatens the sustainable development of mining cities. Land use conflict evaluation provides a basis for the coordination of different land use types. Therefore, this study adopted the multi-criteria evaluation method to evaluate the competitiveness of construction land, agricultural land and ecological land, then classified and combined competitiveness to identify 5 conflict intensities and 15 conflict types, and finally the spatial pattern of land use conflicts as a result was obtained to determine the focus of land management. The results showed that land use conflicts have intensified overall, and construction land and agricultural land conflicts were the main ones. On this basis, we proposed a synthetic model of land use conflict formation consisting of demand-driven, stakeholder behavior preferences and land use externalities. The study finally concluded by offering implication for land use policy that communication, government concerns, benefit distribution, control of illegal land conversion, effective implementation of policies should be used to alleviate land use conflicts.