Food-energy-water nexus potential characterization over Ghanausing fuzzy analytical hierarchy process and GIS

Abstract

Owing to huge benefits derived from understanding the complexity and association of the food, energy and water, delineation of prospective food-energy-water nexus has been carried out over the Ghana to provide insight into the existing relationship and correlation between the food-energy and water. To achieve this goal, researchers used the fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP) multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) technique and geographic information systems (GIS) to create a foodenergy-water nexus potential map (FEWM) by combining nine (9) evidential layers that contribute to food, energy and water systems. Three decision makers (DMs) utilized their expertise in modeling food energy water interconnectedness to assigned weight to these 9 strata using the FAHP approach, focusing on their relative importance in terms of food-energy-water nexus characterization within Ghana. Using a fuzzy gamma operator value of 0.9 in GIS, the weights acquired for the various evidential layers were normalized and then merged to produce the FEWM which graphically depicts the food-energy-water nexus over the country.