Prioritizing watershed management practices in the Ferizi and Rig-Sefid watersheds using Fuzzy-TOPSIS Method

Abstract

Introduction Watershed management projects with different objectives require some kinds of prioritization due to the natural condition prevailing in the watershed, including socio-economic issues, technical and financial constraints. The main purpose of the paper is to provide and apply the concept and techniques of multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) under a fuzzy environment in the prioritization and selection of projects in portfolio management. In order to priority watershed management practices and evaluate the ecological potential of Ferizi and Rig-Sefid watersheds (Chenaran city, Khorasan Razavi province), the Fuzzy-TOPSIS method has been used as a powerful tool in multi-criteria decision making.Materials and Methods In this study, the preference weights of the criteria were identified using fuzzy AHP. Then, the weights are embraced in fuzzy-TOPSIS to improve the gaps of projects (alternatives) to achieve the organizational objectives as well as interactions between projects. The hybrid Fuzzy-AHP and Fuzzy TOPSIS methods made it more systematic and helpful for the decision maker to choose the best alternative from watershed management practices. In this respect, there are three phases performed in this study, the first phase of data is collected via questionnaire by experts. Next, determining criteria weights via Fuzzy-AHP was the main purpose of the second phase. In the third phase, the output obtained from Fuzzy-AHP with regard to criteria weights is used as input to be applied in fuzzy-TOPSIS for defining the optimal alternative and capturing the complex relationships between the assessment criteria and alternatives.Results and DiscussionThe comparison of the prioritization with the Fuzzy-TOPSIS method in this study and studies in 2010 indicate their similarity to some items, while in the second category priorities, the differences are more than the third and fourth priorities. The results indicate that multi-criteria decision models suggest the best location due to the usage of several criteria quantitatively and qualitatively with respect to objectives. In addition, it can be provided valuable information on prioritizing executive operations for integrated watershed management. It is also revealed that in the Fuzzy-TOPSIS technique, calculating the weights of criteria is essential and they can adjust the rating for other projects. Therefore, Fuzzy-TOPSIS will additionally help to select the optimal management project for the decision-making process.Conclusion It was found that many researchers applied many kinds of MCDM methods to help the decision makers understand and have more concentration on the high rank of criteria and also provide the ranking of the best alternatives in different problems and situations.

Keywords

• ecological potential
• modeling
• multi-criteria decision making
• planning