Energy Conflict Resolution for Sustainable Resource Production in Ghana Using a Hybrid DEMATEL-GMCR Model

The production of fossil energy resources is central to economic development for developing economies such as Ghana, with abundant natural resources, despite the interrelated socio-ecological disruptions. Owing to the value of the newly found oil and gas resources, disputes are sourced from a tradeoff between financial gains and socio-ecological sustainability among multiple decision-makers (DMs) in the Western Region enclave. Strategic negotiations to formally analyze the stability behavior of the government, “fisherfolks,” and oil companies as major DMs with extensive interrelated strategies are necessary for resolving the ongoing conflict. This research proposes a hybrid decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) - graph model for conflict resolution (GMCR) method for multiple DMs to analyze complicated conflicts. The DEMATEL method is used to identify critical strategies based on their interrelationship and then analyze the multiple DMs’ stability behavior using an extended matrix-based algorithm within the GMCR model. An algorithm for the proposed hybrid method is put forward and applied to resolve the case of the energy-resource production dispute in Ghana to demonstrate its procedure. The analysis objectively simplifies a complicated conflict and provides strategic insights for policymakers on the stability behavior of multiple DMs that promote sustainable energy resource production.