Environmental-economic decision-making in lowland irrigated agriculture using multi-criteria analysis techniques

The continuing debate on sustainability has raised wide concerns towards in tegration of environmental and eco; nomic aspects into the development deci sion-making process. This paper develops a framework for environmental-econ omic decision making that includes the environmental and economic sustainab ility criteria, and local people's preferences in the context of a lowland irrigated agriculture system using multi-criteria decision-making technique s. Several criteria, such as land capability/suitability, energy input/outp ut ratio, water demand and environmental costs, are considered as environme ntal sustainability criteria. Economic sustainability is measured from farm ers': governments and societal viewpoints using extended cost-benefit analy sis. The Geographic Information System (GIS) technique has been used to eva luate spatial sustainability criteria. The involvement of local people at v arious levels of the decision- making process is emphasized and their opini ons are sought in the decision-making process using a two-stage field surve y. The results of the multi-criteria analysis combining both environmental and economic sustainability criteria are discussed, and economic incentives for sustainable intensification of lowland irrigated agriculture are outli ned. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.