Prioritization of water conservation strategies in irrigation facilities through integrated MCDM methods: A case of Çorum province

Nowadays, due to the global decline in water resources, efforts to conserve them have become increasingly critical. This study aims to find a solution to reduce the water waste that mainly occurs during agricultural practices, which account for the largest portion of water consumption. Efficient and sustainable water management in agriculture requires the conscious and effective selection of water-saving strategies. In this context, the study focuses on prioritizing the methods currently in use at irrigation facilities operated by the Irrigation Union in Çorum province using a hybrid approach combining Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) and fuzzification techniques. Real-world data were used to evaluate and analyze the applied methods to ensure efficient water use. The ultimate goal is to support decision-makers in resource-constrained states by guiding them toward the most strategic and effective alternatives. Four alternatives metering systems installed at irrigation facilities, drip irrigation systems, pricing of irrigation water through specific tariffs, and legal regulations were evaluated according to five criteria: water saving, water efficiency, water productivity, social acceptance/local impact, and ease of implementation. These criteria were weighted using the Pythagorean Fuzzy Set theory and Entropy method, and alternatives were prioritized with Interval Type-2 and TOPSIS methods. Additionally, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to evaluate the robustness and reliability of the model by using various weight and performance scenarios. Among the prioritized options, drip irrigation, which delivers water based on crop needs, consistently showed the highest performance. Drip irrigation supports sustainable agriculture and strategic policymaking through practical use and social acceptance.