An Analytic Network Process (ANP)-Based Approach for Investigating Alternative Planning Scenarios of Mining Activities in Piedmont Region

The paper aims to explore a set of future scenarios in the context of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for the adoption of the Regional Plan for Mining Activities in Piedmont region (Italy). The study investigates the use of a Multicriteria Decision Analysis technique (MCDA), namely the Analytic Network Process (ANP), with the aim to support the definition of the best sustainable scenario. The ANP model evaluates a protocol of objectives and strategies in order to explore their complex relations and to guide the evaluation of alternative planning scenarios. The paper shows how the ANP model may be considered a suitable support to aid the decision-making process in better understanding the full range of impacts generated by mining activities on the territory, thus supporting the creation of integrated and sustainable planning policies at regional scale.