Variable Sets and Fuzzy Rating Interval for Water Allocation Options Assessment

Optimal water allocation is an important means of improving water use efficiency. However, since water allocation options are usually characterized by multi-region, multi-principle and multi-criterion factors, decision-makers often have difficulty in making objective decisions using them because the many available water allocation options often make the ratings of the options so close to be ranked. This study present a hierarchy variable sets (VS) model, based on the single-layer variable sets model, for ranking the water allocation options of Jining City, China. The ratings of the options are evaluated using a fuzzy rating interval (FRI) that can overcome homogenization in the ratings. The structure of the model presented in this study is clear with a simple procedure of computation and the result is rational. The case study used illustrates that this model can help decision-makers know the rating of water allocation options partially and overall. The computed result from this model appears more convincing than a previous water allocation approach for the city based on the maximum entropy principle. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014