Selecting Optimal Water Supply Sources Using Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Model for Rural Communities in South Africa
Main Article Content
Abstract
Water poverty remains one of the most significant global challenges, restricting sustainable development, particularly in poor communities. Selecting an optimal water supply solution for rural South African communities is a complex process due to multiple factors, including cost, availability, accessibility, and water quality. This paper presents a Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) model that incorporates the Fuzzy Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (F-TOPSIS) and the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (F-AHP), to assess and prioritize various options for water supply. Developed model accounts for trade-offs and prioritizes options based on weighted criteria that reflect the unique needs of rural communities with respect to water supply. Findings demonstrate model’s effectiveness in providing a structured, data-driven approach to water supply decision-making. Groundwater emerges as the most sustainable water source, followed by pipeline-supplied water. Surface water is deemed undesirable due to poor quality and long distances from the supply sources. The result from the study indicates that ground water has a co-efficient closeness of 0.93, followed by pipeline-supplied water with 0.88. The study underscores the need for government intervention in groundwater supply to support rural communities facing high unemployment and poverty. By employing this model, South Africa can enhance its water supply strategies, ensuring that appropriate solutions are identified for rural communities that are both practical and sustainable.