## 5 Discussion
MCDA has become increasingly popular in decision-making processes related to environmental issues, due to its suitability and usefulness in complex decisions such as those related to energy, waste management, and nature conservation. It has been extensively applied in the last decade and is considered one of the most suitable tools for these types of decisions. Furthermore, stakeholder participation is widely acknowledged as a crucial component of effective environmental decision making. In this regard, MCDA approaches offer a practical means of incorporating economic, social, and environmental factors when solving problems. The diverse applications of MCDA in addressing environmental challenges serve to illustrate both its adaptability and its potential. For example, MCDA frameworks have been employed to integrate stakeholder preferences into river pollution management strategies, as evidenced by [PERSON] et al. (2018). This case study emphasises the significance of engaging a diverse range of stakeholders, including community members, municipal representatives, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), in order to effectively prioritise pollution mitigation strategies. Similarly, the application of MCDA in forest management, particularly through collaborative decision-making processes, demonstrates the method's capacity to balance economic, environmental, and social criteria. In [PERSON] et al. (2018), the preferences of stakeholders were integrated to select optimal forest management models, thereby demonstrating the utility of MCDA in reconciling divergent interests and promoting participatory planning. Furthermore, the deployment of MCDA to assess urban green spaces across European cities exemplifies its adaptability in addressing intricate, multidimensional issues (2018). These studies underscore the vital necessity for robust methodologies that encompass both qualitative and quantitative criteria, while facilitating stakeholder engagement and participation in environmental decision-making processes. Moreover, literature reviews increasingly focus on the application of MCDA to address specific environmental issues, rather than general overarching environmental concerns. For instance, MCDA has been applied to flood hazard and vulnerability mapping, marine and terrestrial plastic waste management, catchment-scale pollution risk assessment, and offshore renewable energy development. However, it is important to highlight some important gaps that have been identified. Regarding the application of MCDA to real-world decision making, it seems that most publications have a limited orientation. Furthermore, theoretical advancements are outpacing practical MCDA applications. Many reviews assert that MCDA is of significant interest not only to researchers but also to decision-makers and planners outside the scientific community. Yet, in real-world applications, simpler methodologies are often used. Additionally, it has been observed that practitioners lack a clear understanding of the added value of MCDA, and non-experts find its methods challenging to comprehend. Despite this, the use of MCDA is anticipated to continue to rise. But to successfully employ MCDA on real-world issues, it is necessary to promote the value of MCDA and provide targeted training to stakeholders and policymakers. Further development of review papers is necessary to examine and analyse the consolidation of MCDA on environmental issues beyond those addressed in this study, including energy, waste management, and water management. The reviewed papers show little interest in other subjects over a 23-year period, resulting in a shortage of review papers in fields such as engineering, transport, and fisheries. There is also a lack of review papers addressing environmental topics beyond those covered in this study, including aspects such as air and noise pollution, and the management of natural resources.