Participatory Management of a Mediterranean Lagoon Complex Social-Ecological System Using Intuitionistic Fuzzy TOPSIS

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Dear authors, 

I hope you are doing well. 

I have read your manuscript. I find it very interesting. 

I have some concerns about the clarity of the text and the kid of analysis you conducted, in order to offer a clearer text for the readers of the journal. 

Please find attached the comments.

Kind regards.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Please see the attachment

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

1. Authors should arrange Keywords alphabetically.
2. The authors have not conducted a literature review on the emergence of the intuitionistic fuzzy TOPSIS method and its main applications.
3. The authors should indicate the structure of the manuscript at the end of the Introduction section.

4.      In the sentence “An intuitionistic fuzzy set (IFS) A in X={x} is defined as A…. “ is used the reference [40, Atanassov, K. T. (1986). Intuitionistic fuzzy sets. Fuzzy Sets and Systems, 20(1), 87-96]. It is necessary to replace reference [40] with the first literary reference (K. Atanassov, ``Intuitionistic Fuzzy Sets,'' VII ITKR Session, Sofia, 20-23 June 1983 (Deposed in Centr. Sci.-Techn. Library of the Bulg. Acad. of Sci., 1697/84) (in Bulgarian). Reprinted: {Int. J. Bioautomation,} vol.~{20(S1)}, 2016, pp. S1-S6) in which Atanasov introduces Intuitionistic fuzzy sets, not the one indicated by the authors - [40].

5. The authors should indicate the reference for“ The use of intuitionistic fuzzy TOPSIS enables us to incorporate the linguistic…“, in which  the IF TOPSIS method was introduced for the first time.

6.      The table 2 go outside the bounds of the printable field.

7.      At step 1 of the IF Topsis multi-criteria approach, it is recommended that the authors extend step 1 of the IF Topsis algorithm by adding operations related to optimizing the criterion evaluation system by removing the more expensive, slower-to-measure criteria in case a correlation between the criteria is found. For example, at the Step1 of the algorithm they could insert a step to check the dependencies between the criteria in a similar way to the Scopus references (such as ''Traneva, V., Tranev, S. (2022). Intuitionistic Fuzzy Model for Franchisee Selection. In: Kahraman, C., Tolga, A.C., Cevik Onar, S., Cebi, S., Oztaysi, B., Sari, I.U. (eds) Intelligent and Fuzzy Systems. INFUS 2022. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 504. Springer, Cham.'').

8. The authors should outline future research directions in the Conclusion section.
9. The authors have not compared the results from IF Topsis with other Intuitionistic Fuzzy methods for multi-criteria decision making.

Author Response

Please see the attachment

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This manuscript explores the participatory management of a composite socio-ecological system in a Mediterranean lagoon, specifically the use of the intuitionistic fuzzy TOPSIS method to integrate stakeholder perspectives into the decision-making process. The research in this article is important for understanding and improving the sustainable management of Mediterranean lagoons.

It is recommended that the authors describe the geographical, ecological and socio-economic context of the Mediterranean lagoon in more detail in the introductory section so that the reader can better understand the importance and urgency of the study.

The article uses the Intuitionistic Fuzzy Set (IFS) and TOPSIS methods, which have advantages in dealing with uncertainty and ambiguity. It is suggested that the authors further discuss the applicability and limitations of the chosen methods and their comparison with other methods.

The article provides the results of applying the intuitionistic fuzzy TOPSIS method and suggests that the authors further explain the steps of the intuitionistic fuzzy TOPSIS method, including converting the stakeholders' opinions into intuitionistic fuzzy values and determining the weights and rankings. For the ranking results derived from the TOPSIS method, it is recommended that the authors provide additional explanations, especially for the analysis of the reasons for the highest and lowest ranked management actions. It is recommended that the authors further explore the possible reasons for the trends and patterns in these results and their possible implications for policy development.

The article provides a risk assessment of management practices in Mediterranean lagoons and suggests optimization strategies accordingly. The authors are recommended to discuss the feasibility of implementing these strategies and possible challenges.

The article could be further compared with the existing literature, especially with regard to differences and similarities in management measures and outcomes. The authors should discuss how the proposed management measures can be reconciled with existing environmental policies and regulations.

The article provides policy recommendations for Mediterranean lagoons. It is recommended that the authors discuss how these recommendations fit into existing policy frameworks and practices and their long-term implications for regional development.

Author Response

Please see the attachment

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 4 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Interesting and appropriate approach to deal with economic and environmental conflict, based on a holistic multi-criteria approach, where the participation of key actors and decision makers is important for the management of Social-Ecological Systems.

How to ensure that these consultation and participation processes are more transparent and inclusive in order to have greater legitimacy.

How can the interaction between academia and decision makers be improved to reach agreements and propose favorable results?

How to deal with economic and environmental costs to ensure the sustainability of coastal areas?

Author Response

Please see the attachment

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Dear authors,

I think the manuscript has improved. 

My only concern is th theoretical framework since the very first sentence is showing a lack of understanding of the SESs: "Since the end of the twentieth century, ecosystems that are strongly influenced by humans as well as highly complex have been recognized as socio-ecological systems (SES), which require interdisciplinary management rather than being managed as separate social or ecological units with weak interaction [1,2]. 

This statement is not fully true, due to SES are refered to the level of organization or units coupling the social and ecological systems, what ever the strength of the influence from humans to nature be. Then, I find it not clear the conceptual understanding coming from the authors. 

Best

Author Response

Dear reviewer,

We refined the article clarify the part referring to SESs, enhancing its overall quality.

We can assure you that we share the same understanding of SES. The expression was ameliorated to better reflect the essence of SES and the link they have with ES and participatory approaches for our case study.

We are confident that the revised version aligns with the high standards of Sustainability and offers a thorough and well-rounded exploration of the topic.

Thank you once again for your thoughtful review.

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The authors have revised the manuscript in accordance with the recommendations.

Author Response

Dear reviewer,

We are pleased that the revised manuscript has met your expectations.

We would like to thank you once again for your valuable contribution to the amelioration of our manuscript.