Using Integration of Multiple Attribute Decision Making (MADM) in Environmental Risk Assessment of Dam Building Projects

Dam building projects put serious impacts on the environmental parameters. Therefore, risk assessment of the dam is one of the most important aspects in managing environmental risks of dams. The construction and operation’s activities of Azad Dam on Kumasi River in Kurdistan provinc were investigated to assess the consequent environmental risks from this plan. Firstly, in this paper, environmental risks were identified based on their criteria including importance, severity, and probable occurrence by Delphi questionnaire method. Then the aforementioned risks criteria were weighted by using Entropy method. In the next stage, Hierarchical Additive Weighting (HAW), Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) and Elimination et Choice Translating Reality (ELECTRE) methods, three techniques of Multiple Attribute Decision Making (MADM) methods were used to rank the probable risks. Results showed that the most important risks of the Azad Dam plan are Soil contamination and flora destruction, reduction in water quality in Kumasi River, intense reduction of organic matter and nutrients in Kumasi River flow at down side