The increasing need for range-resolved aerosol and water-vapour atmospheric observation networks worldwide has given rise to multi-spectral LIDARs (Light Detection and Ranging, a synonym of laser radar) as advanced remote sensing sensors. This Ph.D. presents the design, integration and analysis of the new 6-channel multispectral elastic/Raman LIDAR for aerosol and water-vapour content monitoring developed at the Remote Sensing Lab. (RSLAB) of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC). It is well known that the combination of at least three elastic and two Raman nitrogen channels are sufficient to enable retrieval of the optical and microphysical properties of aerosols with a key impact on climate change variables. The UPC lidar is part of the EARLINET (European Aerosol Research Lidar Network) -GALION (Global Atmospheric Watch Atmospheric Lidar Observation Network), a ground-based continental network including more than 28 stations. Currently, only 8 of the 28 EARLINET stations are of such advanced type. This Ph.D. specifically focuses on: (1) Concept link-budget instrument design and overlap factor assessment. The former includes opto-atmospheric parameter modelling and assessment of backscattered power and SNR levels, and maximum system range for the different reception channels (3 elastic, and 2 aerosol and 1 water-vapour Raman channels, ultraviolet to near-infrared bands). The latter studies the laser-telescope crossover function (or overlap function) by means of a novel ray-tracing Gaussian model. The problem of overlap function computation and its near-range sensitivity for medium size aperture (f/10, f/11) bi-axial tropospheric lidar systems using both detector and fiber-optics coupling alternatives at the telescope focal-plane is analysed using this new ray-tracing approach, which provides a much simpler solution than analytical-based methods. Sensitivity to laser divergence, field-lens and detector/fiber positions, and fiber¿s numerical aperture is considered. (2) Design and opto-mechanical implementation of the 6-channel polychromator (i.e., the spectrally selective unit in reception). Design trade-offs concerning light collimation, end-to-end transmissivity, net channel responsivity, and homogeneous spatial light distribution onto the detectors¿ active area discussed. (3) System integration and validation. This third part is two fold: On one hand, first-order backscatter-coefficient error bounds (a level-1 data product) for the two-component elastic lidar inversion algorithm are estimated for both random (observation noise) and systematic error sources (user¿s uncertainty in the backscatter-coefficient calibration, and user¿s uncertainty in the aerosol extinction-to-backscatter lidar ratio). On the other hand, the multispectral lidar so far integrated is described at both hardware and control software level. Statistical validation results for the new UPC lidar (today in routine operation) in the framework of SPALI-2010 intercomparison campaign are presented as part of EARLINET quality assurance / optimisation of instruments¿ program. The methodology developed in the first part of this Ph.D. has successfully been applied to the specification case study of the IFAE/UAB lidar system, which will be installed and operated at the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) observatory. Finally, specs for automated unmanned unattended lidar operation with service times close to 365/24 are presented at the end of this Ph.D. in response to the increasing demand for larger observation times and availability periods of lidar stations.