Publication
How is multi-criteria decision analysis supporting existing software for nature-based solutions decisions?
Dr. Marco Cinelli, in collaboration with Shreya Mozumdar (former LUC student), published an article that reviews the state of existing software that can assist with decision-making processes around nature-based solutions (NbS). This paper is the first to examine in detail the features of these software, and how they operationalise the different stages of the Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) process.
- Author
- Marco Cinelli, Shreya Mozumdar
- Date
- 21 January 2026
- Links
- Read the full article here
The paper reviews literature to identify and assess various aspects of 23 software for NbS decision-making. The paper assesses their technical capabilities, such as GIS-accessibility and the scope of application including the target user base and spatial scope. In addition, it delves into the key NbS co-benefits assessed, and the capabilities of the software to address the stages of the MCDA process, such as weighting, aggregation and decision recommendations. Next, a thorough evaluation of the software is conducted, examining their methodological quality, user-friendliness and software sustainability. The paper also provides recommendations for developers intending to explore this software space, including aligning weighting and aggregation methods, including biodiversity considerations and rural contexts and improving the softwares’ capabilities for stakeholder engagement.
How can this review be used?
The review can be used by NbS decision-makers seeking out tools that may help them to evaluate potential NbS prior to implementing them, assisting them with a thorough evaluation of the software capabilities. The review can also be used by developers, helping them to assess the existing state of software and recommending future considerations when developing software that address this gap.