An Integrated Fuzzy SIWEC-RAWEC Approach for Assessing the Challenges and Solutions for Sustainable Development in Developing Countries

Over the past thirty years, the global community has acknowledged the importance of transitioning from traditional development models to sustainable development (SD). This shift was driven by the realization that previous development approaches were unsustainable. While African governments have implemented several policies towards SD, there appears to be deep skepticism about whether it can achieve SD. This paper aims to identify challenges to SD in Africa and explore strategies to overcome these challenges. Data for this paper were collected through consultations with experts in the field. The key novelty of this study lies in the application of an integrated fuzzy simple weight calculation (F-SIWEC) and fuzzy ranking alternatives with weights of criterion (F-RAWEC). F-SIWEC determines the relative importance of criteria, and F-RAWEC is employed to rank the strategies. The findings of the study indicated that entrenched and widespread poverty and persistent international inequalities and external dependency are the most critical challenges to SD, while scaling up national social protection programs with conditional cash support remains the most appropriate strategy to overcome these challenges.