Integrated Approach to Water Allocation in River Basins
Publication: Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 139, Issue 2
Abstract
Available water resources are decreasing in river basins around the world. Some reseachers have suggested various indicators and methods that should be used to allocate water resources. This paper attempts an integrated approach to water allocation that accounts for a wide range of factors at the river basin level. Using the Hai, Huai, and Yellow River Basins of Shandong Province in China, 19 indicators were assimilated into a water scarcity index and weighted based on surveys collected from 82 multidisciplinary experts. Fuzzy set probability was then used to quantify water scarcity for each river basin. A water allocation method was also calculated using 13 indicators and objectively weighted using the analytical hierarchy process. Results show that all river basins in Shandong Province have severe water scarcity and highlight that economic factors play the most critical role in water scarcity, followed by water supply factors then water demand. Water allocation indicators were prioritized according to water resource pressure and utilization proportionality among districts in the Huai River Basin. The results should provide direction for future research.
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Acknowledgments
This study was supported by the Scientific and Technological Project Funds of Shandong Province (2007GG30006002 and 2009GG20008018).
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Published In
Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 139 • Issue 2 • March 2013
Pages: 159 - 165
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 27, 2011
Accepted: Apr 23, 2012
Published online: Apr 27, 2012
Published in print: Mar 1, 2013
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