**Acknowledgements**

**Figure 11.** SAW values for alternatives 7 and 25.

216 Decision Support Systems

were assigned to the criteria in both approaches.

combine these to select the most suitable areas.

function as well as which set of criteria weights to use.

to doline development.

A fundamental problem of decision theory is how to derive weights of criteria. One disad‐ vantage of the AHP method is the inherent subjectivity of assigning preference values be‐ tween criteria. The weights derived from these preference values have usually a profound effect on the results of the suitability analysis. However, in our particular case, in the indus‐ trial suitability analysis, there were no strong differences between the results of the site search analysis performed under the concept of sustainable development or the site search analysis performed under the concept of economic development, although different weights

If differences are greater, a possible solution is to establish a set of suitability maps and to

After some talks with different managers in the administration and following the approach under sustainability aspects, our results suggest that the best location for new industries is on the pediments and Tertiary sediments outside the natural protected areas, where the groundwater vulnerability and flood risk is lower, although the geotechnical characteristics of the terrain are less favorable, according to the PGOUZ. The least favorable location em‐ bodies the floodplain with high groundwater vulnerability values and the natural protected areas around the river bed, and other areas in the higher terraces which are more susceptible

An advantage of outranking methods as PROMETHEE-2 is the fact that criteria do not need standardization or transformation processes which reduces subjectivity. However, in a spa‐ tial multicriteria analysis decisions still need to be made, as for example what characteristic value (from the population of pixels within a location alternative polygon) to use for a sub‐ sequent multicriteria analysis (e.g.maximum, minimum, mean, etc.). If using PROME‐ THEE-2 more decisions needs to be made in regards to the selection of the preference This research was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, Ho 804/7-1+2). We also greatly acknowledge support of the Ebro River Authority (CHE), the Aragón Re‐ gion Authority and the Zaragoza Council.
