The combined use of Spatial Multicriteria Evaluation and stakeholders analysis for supporting the ecological planning of a river basin

River basin planning and management constitute complex decision problems, characterized by many actors and stakeholders with conflicting objectives and values, ranging from the protection of local flora and fauna and the enhancement of the recreational value of the river, to the preservation of the water resources for industrial purposes and human activities. In the light of the aforementioned complexity, specific evaluation methods are needed for supporting decision-making processes in this context. The present paper proposes an evaluation approach based on the combined use of two different evaluation techniques, the Spatial Multicriteria Evaluation and the stakeholders analysis, for supporting the definition of policies and actions for a river basin. In particular, alternative predictive scenarios are generated through the Ordered Weighted Average method in order to explore different solutions. Starting from the Pellice river basin (Italy), the study presents the results of the integrated evaluation approach, focusing on the potentialities of the methodology for supporting the definition of future policies and plans for the area.