Fuzzy Hybrid MCDM Model for Ranking the Agricultural Water Demand Management Strategies in Arid Areas

In this paper, a fuzzy Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) model is proposed for considering the uncertainty of expert’s opinion in decision making of agricultural water demand management. The performance of Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) model was evaluated, and the hybrid model of Modified Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (MTOPSIS) and AHP are introduced in non-fuzzy, MTOPSIS-AHP (MTAHP), and Fuzzy MTOPSIS-AHP (FMTAHP) setting, and the result of them were compared. Sensitivity analyses of tested fuzzy MCDM model was carried out in 3 separate steps of aggregation of individual fuzzy judgments, fuzzy distances values for fuzzification and ranking of fuzzy numbers. In this research, Coefficient of Variation (CV) index of final rates was proposed to evaluate the performance of MCDM models. The results of this paper showed that the geometric mean method is better for aggregation of individual fuzzy judgments. The results showed that non-fuzzy proposed model, MTAHP provided better ranking resolution among tested non-fuzzy MCDM models and only the proposed FMTAHP model significantly increased the CV index of final rates and improve the results resolution. Finally, the proposed MTAHP and FMTAHP models introduced as the best models for ranking alternatives by high resolution in non-fuzzy and fuzzy environment, respectively.