Fuzzy Multiobjective Decision-Making Approach for Groundwater Resources Management

A conventional simulation-optimization model with constraint on drawdown at an area of interest is used to optimize additional groundwater withdrawal at multiple demand locations in a coastal aquifer. After obtaining the optimal solution, a decision- making analysis is conducted using fuzzy logic concepts. The goal is to evaluate multiple objectives and select the best management strategy. This methodology is applied to a hypothetical case consisting of six groundwater demand locations in Savannah, Ga. The objective function of the optimization model includes a penalty term which can be adjusted by the user to control the degree of "fairness" with respect to the distribution of limited groundwater resources in the region. The decision-making framework incorporates hydrologi- cally, politically, and economically motivated multiple conflicting objectives into the evaluation process. Results of the coupled simulation-optimization model are used to determine individual satisfaction degrees of each management strategy with respect to multiple objectives. Based on this outcome, an overall performance value is calculated by using the ordered weighted averaging OWA operator and the management strategy with the highest overall performance is identified as the best strategy. The OWA operator is an averaging operator that avoids ruling out some alternatives in favor of others which is observed in the logical operators such as "and" and "or." When combined with expert knowledge to identify the appropriate membership functions for the fuzzy objectives, the procedure devel- oped in this study may yield transparent and robust groundwater management solutions in coastal aquifers.

[1]  Hans-Jürgen Zimmermann,et al.  Fuzzy Set Theory - and Its Applications , 1985 .

[2]  A. Mantoglou.  Pumping management of coastal aquifers using analytical models of saltwater intrusion , 2003 .

[3]  R. Słowiński.  Fuzzy sets in decision analysis, operations research and statistics , 1999 .

[4]  Robert Willis,et al.  Planning Model for Optimal Control of Saltwater Intrusion , 1988 .

[5]  William W.-G. Yeh,et al.  MANAGEMENT MODEL FOR CONJUNCTIVE USE OF COASTAL SURFACE WATER AND GROUND WATER , 1998 .

[6]  Ronald R. Yager,et al.  Uncertainty modeling and decision support , 2004, Reliab. Eng. Syst. Saf..

[7]  Thomas Maddock,et al.  Drawdown, Velocity, Storage, and Capture Response Functions for Multiaquifer Systems , 1991 .

[8]  Arlen W. Harbaugh,et al.  A modular three-dimensional finite-difference ground-water flow model , 1984 .

[9]  Jaime A. Painter,et al.  Ground-Water Conditions and Studies in Georgia, 2006-2007 , 2005 .

[10]  William W.-G. Yeh,et al.  Multiobjective optimization for sustainable groundwater management in semiarid regions , 2004 .

[11]  Masahiro Inuiguchi,et al.  A fuzzy satisficing method for multiobjective linear optimal control problems , 1996, Fuzzy Sets Syst..

[12]  Larry W. Mays,et al.  Optimal Management of Large‐Scale Aquifers: Methodology and Applications , 1986 .

[13]  G. Klir,et al.  Uncertainty-based information: Elements of generalized information theory (studies in fuzziness and soft computing). , 1998 .

[14]  Marc Roubens,et al.  Fuzzy sets and decision analysis , 1997, Fuzzy Sets Syst..

[15]  R. Yager.  Quantifier guided aggregation using OWA operators , 1996, Int. J. Intell. Syst..

[16]  Didier Dubois,et al.  Possibility Theory - An Approach to Computerized Processing of Uncertainty , 1988 .

[17]  B D Spencer,et al.  Uncertain population forecasting. , 1985, Journal of the American Statistical Association.

[18]  R. Yager.  Fuzzy logic in the formulation of decision functions from linguistic specifications , 1996 .

[19]  Madan M. Gupta,et al.  Fuzzy Sets, Fuzzy Logic, and Fuzzy Systems , 2003 .

[20]  J. Kacprzyk,et al.  Optimization Models Using Fuzzy Sets and Possibility Theory , 1987 .

[21]  Vincent Wertz,et al.  Multiobjective fuzzy linear programming problems with fuzzy decision variables , 2003, Eur. J. Oper. Res..

[22]  Christer Carlsson,et al.  Fuzzy reasoning in decision making and optimization , 2001, Studies in Fuzziness and Soft Computing.

[23]  U. Shamir,et al.  Optimal Annual Operation of a Coastal Aquifer , 1984 .

[24]  David P. Ahlfeld,et al.  Conjunctive-management models for sustained yield of stream-aquifer systems , 2003 .

[25]  Xun Zhou,et al.  Optimal schemes of groundwater exploitation for prevention of seawater intrusion in the Leizhou Peninsula in southern China , 2003 .

[26]  N. Mylopoulos,et al.  A Stochastic Optimization Approach in the Design of an Aquifer Remediation under Hydrogeologic Uncertainty , 1999 .

[27]  R. Willis,et al.  Optimal Control of Nonlinear Groundwater Hydraulics: Theoretical Development and Numerical Experiments , 1985 .

[28]  Wolfgang Kinzelbach,et al.  3D-Groundwater Modeling with PMWIN , 2003 .

[29]  Mustafa M. Aral.  Waste Stabilization in Multilayer Aquifers by Optimal Hydraulic Control , 1989 .

[30]  S. Gorelick,et al.  Optimal dynamic management of groundwater pollutant sources , 1982 .

[31]  John S. Clarke,et al.  Use of Ground-water Flow Models for Simulation of Water-management Scenarios for Coastal Georgia and Adjacent Parts of South Carolina , 2001 .

[32]  Manoutchehr Heidari.  Application of Linear System's Theory and Linear Programming to Ground Water Management in Kansas , 1982 .

[33]  Ronald R. Yager,et al.  Essentials of fuzzy modeling and control , 1994 .

[34]  Richard E. Rosenthal,et al.  GAMS -- A User's Guide , 2004 .

[35]  Brian C. O'Neill,et al.  Conditional Probabilistic Population Forecasting , 2004, Institut für Demographie - VID.

[36]  Richard E. Krause,et al.  Water-Supply Potential of Major Streams and the Upper Floridan Aquifer in the Vicinity of Savannah, Georgia , 1996 .

[37]  Christer Carlsson,et al.  Fuzzy multiple criteria decision making: Recent developments , 1996, Fuzzy Sets Syst..

[38]  George J. Klir,et al.  Uncertainty-Based Information , 1999 .

[39]  M. Aral,et al.  Evaluation of Groundwater Resources Potential of Savannah Georgia Region , 2005 .

[40]  W. Sanderson,et al.  The end of world population growth , 2001, Nature.

[41]  David P. Ahlfeld,et al.  GWM-a ground-water management process for the U.S. Geological Survey modular ground-water model (MODFLOW-2000) , 2005 .

[42]  John S. Clarke,et al.  Design, revision, and application of ground-water flow models for simulation of selected water-management scenarios in the coastal area of Georgia and adjacent parts of South Carolina and Florida , 2000 .

[43]  J M Alho,et al.  Scenarios, Uncertainty and Conditional Forecasts of the World Population , 1997, Journal of the Royal Statistical Society. Series A,.

[44]  Slobodan P. Simonovic,et al.  A fuzzy compromise approach to water resource systems planning under uncertainty , 2000, Fuzzy Sets Syst..

[45]  Bithin Datta,et al.  Application of optimisation techniques in groundwater quantity and quality management , 2001 .