Coordinated allocation of conventional and unconventional water resources considering uncertainty and different stakeholders

Abstract

The optimal allocation of water resources is a critical means of resolving the supply–demand paradox. To optimize the allocation of regional water resources, an Interval Numeral-Hierarchical Planning Model (INHPM) was established to integrate unconventional water resources into the water resource allocation system while simultaneously considering the interests of decision makers at different levels and the uncertainty in a water resource allocation system. The INHPM directs conventional and unconventional water supply departments to achieve coordinated development through the objective function of the synergy degree. The theory of synergy and the theory of information entropy serve as the theoretical foundations for the objective function of the synergy degree. In addition, the interval number was introduced to allow the INHPM to address uncertainty in a water resource allocation system. The hierarchical planning model served as the primary framework for assisting decision makers in minimizing conflicts of interest among various stakeholders in a water allocation system. In this paper, the Interval Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm (IMOGA) was established to solve the INHPM, as opposed to the previous method of transforming the uncertainty model into a certainty model and solving it (IMOGA-INHPM). Finally, using the optimal allocation of conventional and unconventional water resources in Ordos, Northwest China, as an example, the results and comparison analysis of a case study demonstrate the IMOGA-practicability INHPM's and efficiency.