Selection of the final solid waste disposal site in the Bolgatanga municipality of Ghana using analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and multi-criteria evaluation (MCE)

Municipal solid waste management: Identification and analysis of technology selection criteria using Fuzzy Delphi and Fuzzy DEMATEL technique

Municipal solid waste management (MSWM) poses a considerable challenge to developing countries like Bangladesh because of the rising waste generation rates and lack of effective management practices such as illegal open dumping and informal waste collection. One of the crucial factors in the successful management of MSW is to select the appropriate technology which is a complex multi-criteria and laborious process. Despite the global emphasis on the importance of MSWM in the literature, there is a lack of studies conducted in developing countries that effectively identify and analyze the critical performance criteria for appropriate technology selection. This research aims to address this shortcoming by identifying, and prioritizing the selection criteria and finally investigating the inter-relationship between them and the degree to which they affect or are affected by one another. First, a thorough literature review and expert consultation were employed to determine a set of 21 key criteria using the Fuzzy Delphi method (FDM). Later, taking into account the imprecise and subjective nature of the DEMATEL method on human judgements, the Fuzzy DEMATEL technique was employed to investigate the cause-effect relationships among the identified criteria. The findings of the study demonstrated that 14 criteria were categorized as causal elements that have the most significant influence on the MSWM technology selection process and 7 criteria were categorized as effect. The selection of MSWM technology demands greater consideration of the top three ranked criteria, namely T4- Access to Technology (AT), T8- Feasibility (F), and the Ec6-Infrastructure requirements (IR). By identifying the pertinent criteria, structures and interrelationships, the outcome of the study can facilitate a better understanding of causal relationships among the criteria that require specific consideration from the decision-makers and allow them to select appropriate MSW management technology.

Cyclone exposure mapping in coastal Bangladesh: A multi-criteria decision analysis

Owing to its geographical location, Bangladesh is highly exposed to natural disasters: the northern part is at risk of floods, while the southern part suffers from cyclones, storm surges, and salinity intrusion. This study aims to quantify the exposure to cyclones in Taltali, a southern coastal upazila of Bangladesh. To quantify the exposure, the study used 6 criteria, including elevation, slope, proximity to major water bodies, population density, proximity to cyclone tracks and land use and land cover, and produced maps focusing on each criterion. The overall exposure map was also created to observe the whole scenario of the upazila. All the analysis was done in a GIS environment using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. The individual criterion map represents the status of the study area in different classes. And the overall exposure map revealed that about 60 % of the study area was quantified as very highly exposed to cyclones, including 4 unions- Barabagi, Chhota Bagi, Karaibaria, Pancha Koralia and 6 Rakhain paras- Taltali, Monukhe, Momeshi, Agathakur, Saton, and Sawdagar. In numerical terms, about 8032 ha and 178 ha of land are counted as highly and moderately exposed to cyclones, respectively. Among the seven unions, the maximum area of the Barabagi and Chhota Bagi was found to be very highly exposed, followed by Panchakoralia and Karaibaria. Data from our previous study also validated the results of this study. Despite having some limitations, the study can be used to develop the capacity of the community to respond to cyclones. And the national and international communities can use the results to formulate policies regarding disaster risk reduction and risk mitigation.