Fuzzy Evaluation of Marine Geospatial Data Infrastructure (MGDI) and MGDI Decisions’ Criteria

Abstract

Marine environment is characterised to be complex due to its dynamic nature, participation of multiple
stakeholders with diversified worldviews. It exhibits fuzziness and therefore, possesses Multi-Criteria
Decision-Making (MCDM) problems. In this context, Marine Geospatial Data Infrastructure (MGDI) and
MGDI decisions are also subjected to these characteristics; thus, making the quest of an MCDM
evaluation inevitable. In this paper, MGDI criteria adjudged by domain experts through Delphi process,
and reviewed from available policy documents were evaluated and ranked in fuzzy environment. The
evaluation was achieved through scoring, Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), and Fuzzy Analytic
Hierarchy Process (FAHP) approaches. Initial findings from the Delphi process revealed a critically
extreme seven point criteria for MGDI and MGDI decisions; their rankings were achieved through AHP
and FAHP. The uniqueness in the methods demonstrated in the paper is quite apparent since no previous
studies had evaluated such MGDI criteria in a fuzzy environment, as portrayed in the result obtained;
which showed that the FAHP model out-performed the Scoring and AHP methods. There were also four
equally important criteria that have the same order of ranking. Moreover, these rankings were not readily
observed in the other methods; thus showing the inherent decision makers subjectivities. Data and
Information criterion was ranked to be the most outstanding, while social criterion was ranked as the least.
This would therefore, help in the holistic consideration of MGDI decisions by policy makers and other
stakeholders for marine spatial planning and activities.