Integrated Spherical Decision-Making Model for Managing Climate Change Risks in Africa

Abstract

Decision-makers, researchers, practitioners, and stakeholders often struggle with selecting and prioritizing strategies to manage climate change risks. While recent research extensively explores this issue, the emphasis has largely been on regions other than Africa. This is significant, considering Africa’s anticipated exposure to various and severe impacts of climate change. This study applied a two-stage model that integrates the Step-Wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA) and Weighted Aggregated Sum Product Assessment (WASPAS) methods within a unique framework under the influence of spherical fuzzy (SF) conditions. In the initial stage, SF-SWARA determines the relative importance of the criteria, while the subsequent stage involves the SF-WASPAS method to rank the strategies. While the most critical challenges are limited access to finance and inadequacies in climate data, scenarios, and impact models, the solution to be considered is the promotion of a well-coordinated capacity-building programme. Furthermore, a comprehensive sensitivity analysis was conducted to validate the applicability of the proposed model. This research not only identifies and explains the challenges associated with climate change risks management in the African context but also significantly contributes to the body of knowledge by outlining and prioritizing the strategies required to address these challenges.