Neural network model for identification of societal preference of environmental issues

A new method for identification of preferences of environmental issues using the societal approach is suggested. The preferences assigned by different economic groups to 11 environmental issues are obtained through analysis of linguistically stated relative rankings using fuzzy partial ordering method. The system identification technique based on neural networks is used to identify a logical connective in the stated relative rankings and this obviates the inconsistency problem normally encountered in the analysis of relative preference statements. The transitive property of the matrix of relative preferences is used to minimise the number of responses to be elicited from a respondent.