Abstract
Mining cities have undergone the process of extensive exploitation, which always results in a series of water issues. Integrated water resource management is necessary in improving water supply, allocation and quality without damaging economic development. This article constructs a linear optimization model including a ‘Top-Down’ socio-economic mode, and ‘Bottom-Up’ water quality control and water supply–demand modes with integrated water resource management focused on water allocation and water reclamation. Based on computer simulation, the model can propose a water resource management under the constraints of water supply–demand and water quality control, and the model can precisely predict the influences of water resource management on economic development, water utilization and water quality. Taking Ordos, a Chinese national resource city, as a case study, this model addresses a detailed water resource management, including a water allocation plan among industries and water reclamation plan with technologies, selection, arrangement and subsidies. The implementation of water resource management can fulfill multiple objectives on water quantity, water quality and sustainable economic development. This study indicates that water resource management with a comprehensive dynamic model can be a maneuverable approach to realize the sustainable development of economic growth and water resource utilization, as well as formulate the regional development plan.
Highlights
The rapid development of mining cities requires a large quantity of water resource while most of the mining cities are located in the semi-arid or arid regions (Grundmann et al, 2012), which suffer from water scarcity
J j where TP cod is the total chemical oxygen demand (COD) discharged at time t; IWP cod, HWP cod, NWP cod, and RP cod are the COD emitted from industries, households, non-point sources and rainfall at time t, respectively; HWP cod is decided by the coefficient of the pollutant emissions of people who live in city epcity with city population Pjcity; IWP is determined by the industrial production and water pollutant discharge coefficients epm of industry m in region j; and epl and epr are the discharged coefficient of non-point sources and rainfall at the target area
The simulation result demonstrates that with an annual gross regional product (GRP) growth rate of 7.6%, the implementation of water resource management focused on water allocation and water reclamation can realize the tradeoff between supply and demand and fulfill the task of 2% emissions’ reduction each year during the target period
Summary
The rapid development of mining cities requires a large quantity of water resource while most of the mining cities are located in the semi-arid or arid regions (Grundmann et al, 2012), which suffer from water scarcity. Even the increase in wastewater treatment will not prevent water companies from experiencing the effects of adverse events; several studies have analyzed the risks and reliability linked to operation of water supply both on quality and quantity (Tchorzewska-Cieslak, 2007; Boryczko & Tchorzewska-Cieslak, 2013; Boryczko & Tchorzewska-Cieslak, 2014) Most of these researches lack the dynamic linkage among socio-economic development, population growth, environmental impact and the intervention of technologies and policies. These studies consider the connection of water resource, water pollution and economic development, and evaluate the economic and environmental impacts of integrated water management including wastewater treatment, water utilization and water reclamation (Mizunoya et al, 2006; Akmam & Higano, 2007; Xiang et al, 2014) Most of these researches concentrate on the developed regions with a focus on water quality; there is a lack of early-warning studies for developing mining cities with consideration of both water allocation and water reclamation. The result offers the potential for growing mining cities to avoid development dilemmas and provides references for local policy-makers in other mining cities
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