Within stream restoration practice there has been little use of formal decision analysis methods for evaluating tradeoffs in selecting restoration sites and design alternatives. Restoration planning suffers from poorly defined objectives, confusion of objectives and means, and a lack of consideration of tradeoffs. Multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) methods have the potential to improve restoration decision making by quantifying non-economic objectives, communicating tradeoffs, facilitating consistent and explicit valuation, and focusing negotiation on ultimate objectives. To explore the potential usefulness of MCDA, we first review restoration practices and define the characteristics of projects that are good candidates for MCDA. We also present two case studies. The first study is a prioritization of stream reaches for restoration that illustrates how value judgments can affect such decisions. The second study addresses the proposed removal of the Ballville Dam on the Sandusky River in Ohio.123 388 H. J. Corsair et al.An important challenge in the dam removal decision is the linking of habitat improvements to changes in species populations and ecological services that people value. The analysis shows how MCDA can assist decision making by clarifying tradeoffs, in this case by showing that the key issues are conflicts among ecological criteria-not all of which are improved by restoration.

People living in extreme poverty may not be able to afford donated solar home lighting systems. These systems improve quality of life but they may not lift people out of poverty. Users must participate in savings programs, maintain savings themselves, or be able to arrange credit to pay for substantial future costs, such as battery replacement. The monthly savings needed for component replacement in typical solar home systems is less than many rural households spent on candles or other lighting sources before the system was installed, reducing energy costs. However, some households cannot always afford to buy traditional lighting sources. In these cases, the solar home system may increase their energy cost burdens or force the systems to fail when components need replacement.Before implementing home lighting programs in poor communities, sponsors must realistically assess households' ability to pay the ongoing system costs necessary. If households will not be saving money by using solar lighting, the development agenda should be reviewed to determine if the provision of electricity is the most urgent need. Index Terms-Solar energy, Photovoltaic power systems, Rural areas1 Data about Guatemalan SHS, programs that install them, and their users are taken from an unpublished study I conducted between August 2008 and December 2008, including a series of 153 interviews with beneficiaries and donors. Forty-three communities and projects that have or had donated SHS, microhydroelectric systems, or other small solar energy applications were included.

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Aim: Renewable energy (RE) systems can be effective tools for rural communities for meeting goals for development and climate change mitigation and adaptation. RE systems provide small amounts of electricity fostering community development through improved energy access, livelihood opportunities, and improved quality of life. Communities in rural Guatemala are increasingly vulnerable to climate change impacts, due to increasingly extreme weather events. Distributed RE systems can be more effective than connection to national electric grids in providing power if community members have the agency and skill (technical and in governance) to maintain them. The goal was to evaluate the performance of RE systems used in a rural Guatemalan community and the governance system created around it.Design/Research methods: The specific RE systems were evaluated eight years ago; they had performed well especially after Hurricane Stan. Recommendations were made for further performance improvement. This study evaluates the subsequent performance given more intense rains, and the current state of related community governance on the basis of semi-structured interviews.Conclusions/findings: This research highlights the need for enhanced and continuous monitoring and evaluation methods for both energy projects and their supporting institutional structures. Accountability, mediation mechanisms and transparency tools within these institutions can allow more open communication and equitable treatment with agents of power.Originality/value of the article: The article provides original insights for project implementation and policy information. Strong trust bonds are necessary for community resilience in emergencies, and in the well-being and development of the community, independent of energy sources.