Measuring the sustainability of a natural system by using multi-criteria distance function methods: Some critical issues

Autor: Carlos Romero, Marta Ezquerro, Luis Diaz-Balteiro, Pedro Belavenutti, Jacinto González-Pachón, S. Ribeiro Nobre
Rok vydání: 2017
Předmět:
Zdroj: Journal of Environmental Management, 2018, Vol. 214
Journal of Environmental Management
Journal of Environmental Management, ISSN 0301-4797, 2018-05, Vol. 214
Archivo Digital UPM
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid
ISSN: 1095-8630
Popis: There is an important body of literature using multi-criteria distance function methods for the aggregation of a battery of sustainability indicators in order to obtain a composite index. This index is considered to be a proxy of the sustainability goodness of a natural system. Although this approach has been profusely used in the literature, it is not exempt from difficulties and potential pitfalls. Thus, in this paper, a significant number of critical issues have been identified showing different procedures capable of avoiding, or at least of mitigating, the inherent potential pitfalls associated with each one. The recommendations made in the paper could increase the theoretical soundness of the multi-criteria distance function methods when this type of approach is applied in the sustainability field, thus increasing the accuracy and realism of the sustainability measurements obtained.
Databáze: OpenAIRE