Formulating Environmental Strategies for Socio-economic Development Using Comparative Analysis, SWOT Model and AHP

Earth's resources are rapidly depleting and several difficulties are increasing every moment. Environmental decay is affecting economic and social development by imposing real limits to growth and deteriorating quality of life. Undoubtedly, future generations will suffer if a solution is not found. Environmental planning is a balance between development and the environment and considers the economic opportunity development, social justice and environmental aspects. To make this balance, environmental strategies are used for promoting the interaction among planners and the local community. One of the tools that help managers and planners to formulate these strategies is the use of a SWOT analysis. Also the AHP model is could be used to prioritize the factors of strategy development and planning options. In this paper, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of Haftjoy region are identified and environmental strategies for socio-economic development are formulated. Finally all of these strategies are prioritized using a combination of SWOT analysis and AHP.

Keywords:

Environmental strategy , Development planning , SWOT model , Sustainable development , Policy making