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The article presents a methodological background of multi-objective decision support and its applications to environmental decision-making problems. It starts with discussing basic concepts of model-based decision support by outlining the characteristics of modern decision makers and presenting in more detail possibilities and limitations of operational research methods by providing useful support for actual decision making processes. In particular, methods of formulation and analysis of mathematical models that allow for their efficient use for decision support are described.

The article concentrates on one of the most efficient ways of model analysis for decision making support, namely on multi-objective model analysis methods. These methods are summarized and illustrated by a software tool, which has been widely used in various environmental applications of actual decision making support. The relations between these methods and two basic classical methods of model analysis, namely simulation and single-objective optimization are discussed. One particular method of multiobjective model analysis, namely aspiration-reservation based model analysis is discussed in more detail and illustrated by an outline of its implementation. Presentation of multi-objective model analysis methods finishes with an overview of methods specialized for multi-criteria analysis of a small set of alternatives.