Multi-Criteria Decision-Making for Smog Mitigation: A Comprehensive Analysis of Health, Economic, and Ecological Impacts

Smog is a significant threat in Pakistan, having become a persistent issue in recent years. Excessive industrialization, increased reliance on fossil fuels, and increased automobile emissions have all led to epidemic levels of air pollution. Smog, or air pollution, can pose significant risks to humans and plants due to its harmful effects. Air pollution contributes to global health issues, including lung, breathing, and skin ailments. Pakistan, an undeveloped nation, is grappling with the detrimental effects of smog on various sectors such as health, ecology, transportation, and education. This study aims to employ multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methodologies to examine points of view on smog-related issues in Pakistan. The analysis specifically concentrates on the health, economic, social, and ecological consequences of smog and the solutions employed to mitigate its effects. By employing various approaches, such as the Method based on the Removal Effects of Criteria (MEREC) objective weighting technique to determine the weights of each criterion and select the essential criteria, pair-wise comparisons are performed in the Best–Worst Method (BWM) on the best and worst criteria selected through MEREC. We have created a designated consistency ratio for the BWM to assess the reliability of the comparisons. Entropy is an objective weighting technique used to calculate the weights of the best and worst criteria, and the TOPSIS technique is employed to determine the most suitable alternative from a collection of choices by evaluating their resemblance to an ideal answer.