A Multi-Attribute Decision-Making Model for Selecting Centralized or Decentralized Municipal Solid Waste Management Facilities: a Study from the Indian Perspective

Abstract

Centralized municipal colid waste (MSW) treatment facilities have disappointed stakeholders in India and other developing countries due to several premature failures. The operational risks behind these plants’ failure reveal significant loopholes in selecting a suitable approach. So, the dismal scenario advocates determining the appropriate indicators for choosing the centralized or decentralized type of facility and the priority of the indicators for easy decision-making. This present study decomposes this real-world problem into a multi-attribute decision-making (MADM) model with a novel methodology for determining the indicator’s weightage using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP) methods. The rank-order correlation coefficient and Kruskal–Wallis H test predict that all these AHP and FAHP decision-making methods can equally perform the selection of the facility. However, the rank aggregation method determines the most effective set of weightages for decision-making. Furthermore, to validate the decision-making with the best collection of weightages, a feasibility analysis for selecting the suitable facility is carried out for two Indian cities. Thus, the outcome of the work will enable the appropriate selection of facilities in integrated municipal solid waste management systems (IMSWMS) for India and developing nations leading to the sustainable and efficient management of municipal solid waste.