Method for Selecting the Ranking Criteria for Monitoring Stations of the Status of Spatially Distributed Systems and for Defining the Priority of their Location

Abstract

This work considers the issue of selecting the criteria for ranking of the stations used to monitor the status of spatially distributed systems and the processes within such systems, as well as for establishing the priority for locating such stations. The paper offers a SWOT-based method intended to classify all criteria with regard to internal and external opportunities and threats and to overlay on one another iteratively the results of SWOT analyses in order to generate a unified set of criteria. The criteria, so obtained, are compared with regard to the available databanks and GIS maps, and only those criteria that are supported by the information being sufficient for their evaluation are sorted out. The criteria, so selected, are fit for further multi-criteria optimization of a network of monitoring stations with the use of systems analysis methods; they ensure better accuracy, validity, reliability and information value of such optimization results. The functionability of the method has been demonstrated by the example of designing the network of the surveillance monitoring stations for the surface water quality in line with the objectives of the EU Water Framework Directive.