NeuroFuzzy modelling for conflict resolution in irrigation management
type: CreativeWork
description: Management of large-scale irrigation schemes is more complicated than commonly recognized. Irrigation management involves complicated social, organizational, legal, and economical issues in addition to the undoubtedly important technical matters and environmental aspects. Management decisions have potential to be controversial because the involved groups (irrigation officials and water users) hold distinct interests and conflicting objectives. Irrigation plans, bureaucratically decided by irrigation officials, are often rejected by water users causing additional conflicts in managing the system and adversely affecting the schemes' sustainability. It is believed that involving water user associations at different stages of management is a key mechanism towards the improvement of irrigation systems. Therefore, participatory management of irrigation systems has long been an objective for many authorities. However, little has been done to support participation of both groups. In response to this issue, the current work is devoted to introduce a framework for participatory planning of seasonal management decisions and to propose a model, which enables assessment of planning alternatives. Based on a detailed system analysis, the elements of the planning decisions (alternatives, restrictions, and objectives) are identified, and in turn, a set of performance indicators are defined to quantify the conflicting objectives of the groups involved. The proposed framework suggests a committee consisting of scheme managers and farmers. The committee is responsible for defining planning alternatives, simulating them, and assessing their economical, technical, social, and environmental performance. The assessment involves conflicting indicators with a high level of uncertainty and noncommensurability as well as competing interests and vague viewpoints of involved decision makers (DMs). Consequently, the situation is formulated mathematically as a Fuzzy-Multiple-Participant- Multiple-…
abstract: Management of large-scale irrigation schemes is more complicated than commonly recognized. Irrigation management involves complicated social, organizational, legal, and economical issues in addition to the undoubtedly important technical matters and environmental aspects. Management decisions have potential to be controversial because the involved groups (irrigation officials and water users) hold distinct interests and conflicting objectives. Irrigation plans, bureaucratically decided by irrigation officials, are often rejected by water users causing additional conflicts in managing the system and adversely affecting the schemes' sustainability. It is believed that involving water user associations at different stages of management is a key mechanism towards the improvement of irrigation systems. Therefore, participatory management of irrigation systems has long been an objective for many authorities. However, little has been done to support participation of both groups. In response to this issue, the current work is devoted to introduce a framework for participatory planning of seasonal management decisions and to propose a model, which enables assessment of planning alternatives. Based on a detailed system analysis, the elements of the planning decisions (alternatives, restrictions, and objectives) are identified, and in turn, a set of performance indicators are defined to quantify the conflicting objectives of the groups involved. The proposed framework suggests a committee consisting of scheme managers and farmers. The committee is responsible for defining planning alternatives, simulating them, and assessing their economical, technical, social, and environmental performance. The assessment involves conflicting indicators with a high level of uncertainty and noncommensurability as well as competing interests and vague viewpoints of involved decision makers (DMs). Consequently, the situation is formulated mathematically as a Fuzzy-Multiple-Participant- Multiple-…
author: Sewilam, Hani Atef Nabhan
language: eng
keywords: info:eu-repo/classification/ddc/630, Conflict Resolution, Fuzzy Logic, Irrigation Management, Neural Networks, Neuro-Fuzzy Systems, Participatory Management, Bewässerungssystem, Neuro-Fuzzy-System, Landwirtschaft, Veterinärmedizin
date published: 2002
date modified: 2026-07-30T19:42:09Z
provider: RWTH Aachen University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Publikationsserver der RWTH Aachen University