Resilience, Decision‐making, and Environmental Water Releases
Abstract Tensions between delivering water for human uses versus environmental benefits are increasing in many arid and semiarid regions, potentially causing irreversible environmental consequences. The issue of how to balance these competing uses of water is of fundamental importance, especially wi...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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Wiley
2018-06-01
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Series: | Earth's Future |
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2018EF000879 |
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author | Long Chu R. Quentin Grafton Michael Stewardson |
author_facet | Long Chu R. Quentin Grafton Michael Stewardson |
author_sort | Long Chu |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Abstract Tensions between delivering water for human uses versus environmental benefits are increasing in many arid and semiarid regions, potentially causing irreversible environmental consequences. The issue of how to balance these competing uses of water is of fundamental importance, especially with projected increases in the variability of water resources due to climate change. In response, a stochastic resilience optimization model is developed to assist decision‐makers to optimally determine water releases from storages for environmental purposes and to measure the resilience of a system for given risk tolerances. The model, with sensitivity analyses, provides a valuable tool for water planners to minimize the risk of irreversible consequences and to optimize for resilience taking into account weather uncertainty, existing environmental conditions, and water storage levels. A calibration of the model to the Murray‐Darling Basin and also the Goulburn‐Broken catchment region in Australia highlights its potential to improve decision‐making at multiple spatial scales and over time. |
first_indexed | 2024-04-13T19:25:31Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-5b18bd4cc4bb4dc1b39b365ddd34193d |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2328-4277 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-04-13T19:25:31Z |
publishDate | 2018-06-01 |
publisher | Wiley |
record_format | Article |
series | Earth's Future |
spelling | doaj.art-5b18bd4cc4bb4dc1b39b365ddd34193d2022-12-22T02:33:22ZengWileyEarth's Future2328-42772018-06-016677779210.1029/2018EF000879Resilience, Decision‐making, and Environmental Water ReleasesLong Chu0R. Quentin Grafton1Michael Stewardson2Crawford School of Public Policy Australian National University Acton Australian Capital Territory AustraliaCrawford School of Public Policy Australian National University Acton Australian Capital Territory AustraliaDepartment of Infrastructure Engineering University of Melbourne Parkville Victoria AustraliaAbstract Tensions between delivering water for human uses versus environmental benefits are increasing in many arid and semiarid regions, potentially causing irreversible environmental consequences. The issue of how to balance these competing uses of water is of fundamental importance, especially with projected increases in the variability of water resources due to climate change. In response, a stochastic resilience optimization model is developed to assist decision‐makers to optimally determine water releases from storages for environmental purposes and to measure the resilience of a system for given risk tolerances. The model, with sensitivity analyses, provides a valuable tool for water planners to minimize the risk of irreversible consequences and to optimize for resilience taking into account weather uncertainty, existing environmental conditions, and water storage levels. A calibration of the model to the Murray‐Darling Basin and also the Goulburn‐Broken catchment region in Australia highlights its potential to improve decision‐making at multiple spatial scales and over time.https://doi.org/10.1029/2018EF000879natural capitalMurray‐Darling Basinsustainabilityriskuncertaintyoptimization |
spellingShingle | Long Chu R. Quentin Grafton Michael Stewardson Resilience, Decision‐making, and Environmental Water Releases Earth's Future natural capital Murray‐Darling Basin sustainability risk uncertainty optimization |
title | Resilience, Decision‐making, and Environmental Water Releases |
title_full | Resilience, Decision‐making, and Environmental Water Releases |
title_fullStr | Resilience, Decision‐making, and Environmental Water Releases |
title_full_unstemmed | Resilience, Decision‐making, and Environmental Water Releases |
title_short | Resilience, Decision‐making, and Environmental Water Releases |
title_sort | resilience decision making and environmental water releases |
topic | natural capital Murray‐Darling Basin sustainability risk uncertainty optimization |
url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2018EF000879 |
work_keys_str_mv | AT longchu resiliencedecisionmakingandenvironmentalwaterreleases AT rquentingrafton resiliencedecisionmakingandenvironmentalwaterreleases AT michaelstewardson resiliencedecisionmakingandenvironmentalwaterreleases |