Assessment of Sustainable Use of a Multipurpose Reservoir through the Multicriteria Approach: the Case of Corumbá IV Reservoir, Brazil

This study proposes a framework for assessing and ranking a set of sustainable alternatives for instream use of the Corumba IV reservoir, a multipurpose water resource located in the center-east of Brazil. The model is structured with six applicable sustainable benefits and five sustainable water uses, identified through in-depth interviews with four interest groups. The fuzzy analytic hierarchy process was used to calculate the sustainable benefit weights and the performance of water uses relative to the sustainable benefits, which were inputs to the Electre III method, used to determine the rank order of water uses for the interest groups. The hierarchies of the set of water use preferences indicate conflicts. The results demonstrate the need to develop an institutional framework governing the sustainable multiple use of the reservoir analyzed, negotiating adverse impacts associated with population growth, regional development and mitigation of conflicts among the four stakeholders.