Action Prioritization to Address the Silao- Romita Aquifer Problem through the Analytic Hierarchy Method

The Silao-Romita aquifer is located on the west-central state of Guanajuato, Mexico. The main problems of this area are over-exploitation and pollution, which cause other specific problems. The objective of the present work is to analyze the current situation to establish a new prioritization of action plans. To this purpose, we use the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) with the participation of one of the main actors involved. In AHP the input format for decision-makers to express their preferences regarding criteria and alternatives derives from pair-wise comparisons to build the comparison matrices. The matrix of criteria shows how much importance a criterion is given compared with another criterion with respect to the interests or preferences of the respondents. Achieving a good level of consistency is crucial, since only priorities derived from consistent judgment are reliable.