The Use of Fuzzy Cognitive Maps to Support Problem Structuring in Watershed Committee

The main goal of this paper is to apply the Fuzzy Cognitive Maps (FCM) approach as a tool for supporting decisionmaking processes in Brazilian watershed committees. For this, both the approach proposed by [1] and the FCM technique were used to structure a complex problem regarding the degradation of a watershed that was being discussed by the committee responsible for the watershed management. A causal cognitive map with twenty-nine concepts was obtained, which represents the issues that impact the problem at hand. To analyze the causal relationships among these concepts, the following indicators were calculated: indirect effect value, the total-effect matrix, the conceptual centrality and other performance indicators. The analysis of the FCM and its indicators provides important insights about strategies for solving the problem, that is, alternatives for mitigating the degradation problems. The results show that the FCM is an excellent tool for supporting group decision making, particularly, watershed committees.