Simulation of water resource allocation for sustainable urban development: An integrated optimization approach

The water conflicts between society and ecosystems pose great challenges to sustainable development in water-stressed areas. This study proposes a system dynamics model consisting of social, economic, water demand and water supply sectors to investigate the complex interactions within the water system in Huainan City. With the simulation results of water resources, an optimization model for water resource allocation based on interval-parameter two-stage stochastic programming was developed. Taking into account the value of ecosystem services, the optimal water resource allocation was simulated under various scenarios for the development of supplementary water sources. The simulation results indicate that relying only on the local water resources and the inflow of the Huaihe River would lead to the degradation of ecosystem functions, resulting in excessive system costs. The development of reused wastewater and harvested rainwater could be an effective way to guarantee both water supply security and ecosystem health, as well as reduce the cost of water allocation system. The integrated optimization model may be applicable to water resources management in other regions and could help stakeholders and decision-makers obtain comprehensive insights to establish and implement advantageous strategies for sustainable regional development.