Intergenerational equity based optimization model joint of water allocation and water quality management

Global warming and the excessive exploitation of water resources have sparked significant concerns about water scarcity and the degradation of aquatic ecosystems. To improve integrated water resource management, a multi-objective optimization model has been devised, combining water allocation with water quality management, with a focus on environmental intergenerational equity. This model prioritizes efficiency and sustainability to balance socio-economic development and integrated water resource management while preserving aquatic ecosystem health.To ensure sustainable water allocation for both present and future generations, an adapted Bentham-Rawls criterion has been introduced. This criterion facilitates balancing current and future equity in water resource management. It uses a binary utility function that considers both water usage and pollution levels, thereby promoting fair water quality across generations. Furthermore, to integrate social development with integrated water management for sustainable resource use, the model includes mean economic benefit efficiency. This takes into account the costs related to wastewater treatment within the multi-objective framework for water resource allocation, ensuring a comprehensive approach to sustainable water management. By incorporating the competition between present and future generations and addressing the conflict between rapid economic development and the continuous deterioration of water environmental quality, the proposed optimal strategy more accurately represents an inter-temporal utilization pattern for integrated water allocation and water quality management compared to existing strategies. Using the heavily polluted Tuojiang River basin in China as a case study, the practicality and rationality of this model have been validated. Compared to previous models, this intergenerational equity-based optimization model for joint water allocation and water quality management demonstrates lower water pollution accumulation, reduced sewage treatment costs, higher total social welfare, and ensures sustainable water resource management.