Social Multi-Criteria Evaluation of Water Management with Integrating Multiple Perspectives

：The case of Yahagikawa River and Toyokawa River, Japan

Abstract

Public project such as dam construction has always been a source of local conflicts from 1990s in Japan. It is important to create an analytical framework to take into account a wide rangeof assessment criteria, also in order to meet the simultaneous demands for water, energy, and environmental protection well into future, a broader analysis of water management is needed. Following this point of view, we analyze residential preference in dam construction in Yahagikawa River and Toyokawa River area, Japan, using social multicriteria evaluation (SMCE).This case study suggests that the SMCE can supply a powerful framework for environmental policy/project analysis since it is multi-disciplinary, participatory and transparent.