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Multi-criteria decision analysis framework for engaging stakeholders in river pollution risk management

Zesizwe Ngubane (Author), Viktor Bergion (Author), Bloodless Dzwairo (Author), Thor Axel Stenström (Author), Ekaterina Sokolova (Author)

URI https://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-526123, URN urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-526123, DOI 10.1038/s41598-024-57739-y, Identifier https://uu.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1848833/FULLTEXT01 · url

Uppsala universitet Teknisk-naturvetenskapliga vetenskapsområdet (Publisher)

publication

Springer Nature, 2024

Is part of

Scientific Reports

14:1

Component part, Online resource

Available online:

http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-526123

Subject

Engineering and Technology, Civil Engineering, Water Engineering, Teknik och teknologier, Samhällsbyggnadsteknik, Vattenteknik, Natural Sciences, Earth and Related Environmental Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Naturvetenskap, Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap, Miljövetenskap, Natural Sciences, Earth and Related Environmental Sciences, Oceanography, Hydrology and Water Resources, Naturvetenskap, Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap, Oceanografi, hydrologi och vattenresurser, article, catchment area (hydrology), controlled study, human, multicriteria decision analysis, non-governmental organization, pollution, pollution mitigation, risk management, river, water pollution, water supply, watershed

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Summary

Water pollution presents a substantial environmental challenge with extensive implications for water resources, ecosystem sustainability, and human health. Using a South African catchment, this study aimed to provide watershed managers with a framework for selecting best management practices (BMPs) to reduce pollution and the related risk to river users, while also including the perspectives of key catchment stakeholders. The framework encompassed the identification of and consultation with key stakeholders within the catchment. A Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) methodology using the Simple Multi-Attribute Rating Technique for Enhanced Stakeholder Take-up (SMARTEST) was used to identify and prioritise suitable BMPs in a case study. Decision alternatives and assessment criteria as well as their weights were derived based on stakeholder responses to a two-stage survey. Stakeholders included those utilising the river for domestic and recreational purposes, municipal representatives, scientists, NGOs, and engineers. The assessment of decision alternatives considered environmental, economic, and social criteria. The aggregated scores for decision alternatives highlighted the significance of involving stakeholders throughout the decision process. This study recommends the pairing of structural and non-structural BMPs. The findings provide valuable insights for catchment managers, policymakers, and environmental stakeholders seeking inclusive and effective pollution mitigation strategies in a catchment.