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Waste load equilibrium allocation: a soft path for coping with deteriorating water systems

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Abstract

Waste load allocation is always regarded as another efficient approach comparing with the technology-based approach to improve the water quality. This paper proposes a bi-level multi-objective optimization model for optimally allocating the waste load of a river basin incorporating some concerns (i) the allocation equity from the regional authority, (ii) maximal benefits from the subareas along the river, and (iii) the Stackelberg-Nash-Cournot equilibrium strategy between the upper and lower decision makers. Especially, a novel Gini coefficient for measuring the load allocation equity is defined by considering the economic level and waste water quantity. The applicability and effectiveness of the proposed model is demonstrated through a practical case based on the Tuojiang River, which is a typical basin with diversified industrial waste discharges in western China. Some operational suggestions are developed to assist the decision makers’ cope with deteriorating water systems.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Key Program of NSFC (Grant No. 70831005), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 71301109), the Western and Frontier Region Project of Humanity and Social Sciences Research, Ministry of Education of China (Grant No. 13XJC630018), the Research Foundation of Ministry of Education for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (Grant No. 20130181110063), and the Initial Funding for Young Teachers of Sichuan University (Grant No. 2013SCU11014).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, People’s Republic of China

    Liming Yao, Jiuping Xu & Mengxiang Zhang

  2. Uncertainty Decision-Making Laboratory, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, People’s Republic of China

    Liming Yao, Jiuping Xu & Mengxiang Zhang

  3. Low Carbon Technology and Economic Research Center, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, People’s Republic of China

    Chengwei Lv

  4. Neijiang Survey and Design Institute of Water Conservancy and Hydropower, Neijiang, 641000, People’s Republic of China

    Chaozhi Li

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  1. Liming Yao
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  2. Jiuping Xu
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  3. Mengxiang Zhang
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  4. Chengwei Lv
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Correspondence to Jiuping Xu.

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Yao, L., Xu, J., Zhang, M. et al. Waste load equilibrium allocation: a soft path for coping with deteriorating water systems. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23, 14968–14988 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-6593-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-6593-5

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