Risk Based Conflict Resolution Model for River Water Quality Management

In this study, a methodology for conflict resolution for water quality management in a river system is presented. The proposed model maximizes an objective function which is based on the Nash product which includes different utility functions related to the water quality deviations from the standards. Simulation and optimization models are proposed to determine operating policies for river water quality management, based on evaluation of the system performance to derive the most appropriate diffusing strategy for different stakeholders. The proposed model includes an integrated GA-based optimization and a water quality simulation model. Risk-based measures of system performance, termed reliability, resiliency and vulnerability, are calculated for each water withdrawal sector, and are combined into a Nash product, as an objective function. The model is applied to the Karkheh River system in the southern part of Iran. The utility functions are based on the acceptable risk of the allocated water quality by different sectors, especially the environmental protection agency. The results of the proposed model shows that the waste load allocation policies can significantly reduce the number and duration of violations from the standards.