@inbook {52943,
	title = {Multi-criterion decision making approach to assess the performance of reconstructed watersheds},
	year = {2006},
	note = {IN: Topics on System Analysis and Integrated Water Resources Management.  Castelletti A and R. Soncini-Sessa (Eds.). Elsevier. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.  pp. 257-269.},
	pages = {12 pages },
	publisher = {Elsevier },
	organization = {Elsevier },
	address = {Amsterdam, The Netherlands},
	abstract = {The multicriterion decision-making (MCDM) technique traditionally has been used in water resource literature as a major component of decision support systems. This chapter demonstrates how it can be usefully applied to assess the performances of different reclamation alternatives for mining-affected watersheds. Mining activities are clear examples of watershed disturbance resulting from human activity. The carrier function plays a central role in land-degradation processes such as the leaching of nutrients through moving surface and subsurface water, erosion, and sedimentation. The restoration of the above-mentioned functions relies primarily on the restoration of functioning hydrologic systems, a central feature of which is sufficient water to sustain revegetation efforts. Such reclamation and restoration efforts are essential to make the oil sands mining industry as sustainable a development as possible. The results show that the outcome is sensitive to two major issues: the priority structure and the evaluation criteria. It is recommended that representatives from the oil industry, the regulatory institution, and research personnel reach an agreement on the evaluation criteria that will be included in the evaluation matrix as the first step. Second, a general priority structure listing the criteria in their order of relative importance needs to be identified. Finally, a ranking exercise can be conducted to show the alternatives that satisfy different criteria and priorities set a priori.},
	keywords = {model, modeling, Syncrude, UofS, watershed},
	author = {Elshorbagy, Amin and Barbour, Sidney Lee and Qualizza, Clara}
}
