Fuzzy AHP-TOPSIS multi-criteria decision analysis applied to the Indus Reservoir system in Pakistan

Abstract

The ranking of the reservoirs in Pakistan is an important decision and it has a vital impact on the sustainability of the region and the economic operation of the reservoir. The reservoirs ranking is a vital problem which involves multi-criteria decision-making. The framework proposed in this paper involves the fuzzy AHP-TOPSIS method for the ranking of reservoirs in Pakistan. Potential feasible locations are identified from the Water and Power Development Authority, Pakistan. Weight calculation for the criteria is done by the fuzzy AHP method, which is a multi-criteria decision-making method. In order to model the fuzziness, equivocacy, incomplete knowledge and ambiguity, the fuzzy AHP is used. Furthermore, in order to rank the selected reservoirs based on their performance, the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) is applied, which is a multicriteria decision making method. We demonstrate the application of the above-mentioned methods to the case study of the Indus Reservoir system in Pakistan. A decision support tool is provided for the decision makers in this paper to manage, evaluate and rank the planned reservoirs in the Indus River.