Comprehensive Assessment Of Benefits Research Articles

Optimizing soil conservation through comprehensive benefit assessment in river basins

Land degradation from water erosion poses a significant threat to water security and ecosystem stability, driving global efforts in soil conservation. Quantitative assessment of soil conservation benefits—both on-site and off-site—is crucial for guiding effective conservation strategies. However, existing methodologies often fall short in quantifying the value of these combined benefits. Here, we present a comprehensive framework for quantifying soil conservation service flows in monetary terms, evaluating the effectiveness of both on-site and off-site measures. Applying this framework to the Yellow River Basin (YRB), we employ cost-avoidance algorithms related to soil fertility maintenance, dredging cost reduction, and mitigation of nonpoint source pollution. Our results reveal that while many areas contribute to both on-site and off-site benefits, over half of the YRB relies predominantly on off-site services. By strategically enhancing key regions—which constitute 30% of the basin—we demonstrate that the overall soil conservation service supply can increase by 64.2% over the multi-year average from 2001 to 2020 compared to a consideration of on-site only. These findings underscore the essential role of off-site services in fully understanding soil conservation needs, particularly in large river basins, and the identified priority areas can offer valuable insights for optimizing soil conservation efforts.

Assessment of Multi-Regional Comprehensive Benefits of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project in China

Inter-basin water transfer (IBWT) projects are an effective means of addressing regional water resource imbalances. However, owing to the long construction cycle, large investment amount, and wide impact range, water diversion projects exhibit delayed and complex benefits, often lacking clear comprehension. In this study, we established a multi-regional comprehensive benefit assessment framework for the IBWT, considering spatiotemporal and multi-dimensional value effects. Using the South-to-North Water Diversion Project (SNWDP) in China as an example, we assessed its comprehensive benefits from 2003 to 2020. The results showed that the comprehensive benefits of the project were USD 207 billion, encompassing economic and ecological benefits, accounting for 71.6% and 28.4%, respectively. In 2020, the benefits of the SNWDP amounted to USD 39.3 billion, with a per-unit area benefit range of USD −1.03 to 4.27. The operation of the SNWDP effectively alleviated groundwater overexploitation in water-receiving areas. However, without the SNWDP, the total loss caused by industrial development limitations due to water scarcity would have been USD 154.3 billion. These results indicate the importance of a practical framework for assessing IWBT project benefits, aiding managers in assessment tasks, and facilitating the prediction and adjustment of project benefits.

Comprehensive Benefit Assessment of the Middle Route of South-to-North Water Diversion Project Based on Markowitz Theory

In the context of global climate change and the water-carbon peak target, improving water security in arid regions is a persistent challenge in global water resources management. Water diversion projects can serve as an important measure to effectively alleviate the uneven distribution of water resources, achieve rational allocation and efficient utilization of water resources. However, how to achieve the maximization of comprehensive benefits during the process of water allocation is also an urgent problem that needs to be solved. This study focuses on the Middle Route Project of the South to North Water Diversion Project in China, selecting four important municipalities and provinces during 2015 to 2021, namely Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei Province, and Henan Province, based on the actual benefits of the water receiving areas of the middle line project. Nine representative indicators related to social, economic, and ecological benefits were selected to evaluate the optimal combination of water resource allocation in the water receiving areas along the central line, in order to achieve the maximum comprehensive benefits and solve the problems of high water safety guarantee requirements and difficult balanced water distribution in urban agglomerations in the water receiving areas. Through the calculation of the Markovsky theoretical model, the results show that when 79.9% of the water conveyance is used to generate social benefits, 15.8% of the water conveyance is used to generate ecological benefits, and 4.5% of the water conveyance is used to generate economic benefits, the project achieves the maximum comprehensive benefits. This computational model method can be used to provide technical support and scientific reference for the optimal allocation of water resources in cross regional water transfer projects.

Optimization of rural domestic sewage treatment mode based on life cycle assessment method: A case study of Wuzhong District, Suzhou City, China

Optimizing the spatial layout of sewage treatment facilities and establishing a comprehensive benefit assessment system are imperative for improving the scientific decision-making process of rural sewage treatment modes (RSTMs) in developing countries. Based on the k-means clustering algorithm incorporating population and elevation factors, life cycle theory, and the weighted sum multi-objective optimization approach, this study developed an RSTM evaluation framework to provide spatial layout alternatives and comprehensive environmental-economic benefit assessments. Taking Wuzhong District in Suzhou, China, as an example, the results showed that the improved k-means clustering algorithm enabled the proper distribution of sewage treatment facilities to be established in villages with low elevation and a concentrated population, with a reasonable spatial layout. The entire environmental impact potential and economic cost trends of different RSTMs initially decreased before rising with the increase in facilities. These trends indicated that when facility layouts were too centralized or too decentralized, the environmental impact potential and economic cost increased. Additionally, when environmental impact is a priority factor, more facilities should be built. Alternatively, if economic factors are considered a priority, it is preferable to centralize the domestic treatment in neighboring villages and construct fewer facilities.

Impact of correlations between prioritized outcomes onthenet benefit and its estimate by generalized pairwise comparisons.

Benefit-risk balance is gaining interest in clinical trials. For the comprehensive assessment of benefits and risks, generalized pairwise comparisons are increasingly used to estimate the net benefit based on multiple prioritized outcomes. Although previous research has demonstrated that the correlations between the outcomes impact the net benefit and its estimate, the direction and magnitude of this impact remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the impact of correlations between two binary or Gaussian variables on the true net benefit values via theoretical and numerical analyses. We also explored the impact of correlations between survival and categorical variables on the net benefit estimates based on four existing methods (Gehan, Péron, Gehan with correction, and Péron with correction) in the presence of right censoring via simulation and application to actual oncology clinical trial data. Our theoretical and numerical analyses revealed that the true net benefit values were impacted by the correlations in various directions depending on the outcome distributions. With binary endpoints, this direction was governed by a simple rule with a threshold of 50% for a favorable outcome. Our simulation showed that the net benefit estimates based on Gehan's or Péron's scoring rule could be substantially biased in the presence of right censoring, and that the direction and magnitude of this bias were associated with the outcome correlations. The recently proposed correction method greatly reduced this bias, even in the presence of strong outcome correlations. The impact of correlations should be carefully considered when interpreting the net benefit and its estimate.

Stability assessment of the restored Benggang units in a weathered granite crust region of South China

Benggang, a unique and severe form of gully erosion, is widely distributed in weatherd granite crust regions of South China and causes great harms to ecosystem and human. In the recent decades, large investments had been to restore the collapsing Benggang units. In the comprehensive benefit assessment protocol for soil and water conservation effectiveness of the Benggang restoration, stability assessment of the restored Benggang units lacks. This study developed a protocol to assess the stability of the restored Benggang units in a weathered granite crust region via diagnosing sedimentary layers in a soil profile (a meter away from its debris dam). Characteristic sedimentary layers formed by collapse, or strong or weak surface erosion were defined by biplotting ratios of coarse particles (> 1 mm) (PR) and quartz proportion (QR) in each sedimentary layer to those in the collapsing wall (original soil). Among thirty restored Benggang units investigated after 2–10 years of restoration in Anxi and Changting counties in Fujian province, 27 units were still collapsing or collapsed, consisting of 12 very active ones, while only 3 units were fully stabilized. Rainfall intensity threshold causing collapse (RITC) of the units was identified via matching local rainfall events with the characteristic sedimentary layers of collapsion in the dam-front soil profile, significantly higher RITCs in the stable or collapsing-to-stable units than the continuously or late collapsing units (p < 0.05). Based on the estimated RITCs, no significant differences in stability of the restored units were observed between Changting strategy (ecological restoration only with vegetation) and Anxi strategy (restoration with cashcrop plantation). The findings of this study suggested that the characteristic sedimentary layers in the dam-front soil profile determined by the PR-QR biplotwas feasible for stability assessment of the restored Benggang units and provided a quantitative RITC estimation.

Multi-criteria decision making for comprehensive benefits assessment of photovoltaic poverty alleviation project under sustainability perspective: A case study in Yunnan, China

Photovoltaic poverty alleviation is an important way to help people get rid of poverty in China. Evaluating the comprehensive benefits of photovoltaic poverty alleviation project (PPAP) is significant to the closed-loop management of projects and the formulation of future poverty alleviation action. From the perspective of sustainability, this article proposes a comprehensive benefits evaluation framework for PPAP. The 13 sub-criteria are identified and determined from four aspects: economy, technology, society, and environment, forming the evaluation index system. The triangular intuitionistic fuzzy number (TIFN) and decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) are introduced to calculate the weight of indexes. And the improved matter-element extension method (MEEM) with cloud model is conducted to obtain the final results. With an application in four projects in Yunnan province, the feasibility of the decision framework has been proved. The result shows that the comprehensive benefits of PPAP in Yunnan are generally at a good level, and the PPAPs have the potential for further development. Finally, the specific measures to improve the PPAP's performance are given. The study could state the effectiveness of the project in poverty alleviation and provide management support to its sustainable development in rural revitalization.

A Fuzzy Analysis Framework for Comprehensive Benefit of Photovoltaic Poverty Alleviation Project Under Sustainability Perspective: A Case Study in Yunnan, China

Evaluating the comprehensive benefit of photovoltaic poverty alleviation project (PPA) could understand the effectiveness of the project in poverty alleviation, and provide management support to its sustainable development in rural revitalization. The article proposes a comprehensive benefit analysis framework of PPAP from the perspective of sustainability. Firstly, an evaluation criteria system for PPAP comprehensive benefits assessment is established, including economic, technical, social and environmental aspects. Then, the method with triangular intuitionistic fuzzy number (TIFN) and decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) is proposed to calculate the weight of indexes, and improved matter-element extension method (MEEM) with cloud model is used to gain the final result. With an application in four representative areas in Yunnan, the stability and applicability of the framework have been verified. The result shows comprehensive benefits in three area are in good level and the one is in medium, which means the PPAP has achieved the good effectiveness in Yunnan and it has the potential for further development. Lastly, the specific measures to improve the comprehensive benefits are put forward. The study can offer decision supports for managers in related poverty alleviation and provide theoretical reference for decision-making in other fields of management.

Comprehensive benefits assessment of using recycled concrete aggregates as the substrate in constructed wetland polishing effluent from wastewater treatment plant

Abstract Large-scale horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland is widely used to polish the effluent from wastewater treatment plant in China. Though it is effective in improving the urban water quality, the great consumption of natural sandstone arouses growing concern. Using recycled concrete aggregate instead of gravel as the substrate of constructed wetland may solve this problem. Recycling of waste concrete can reduce the adverse effect of inertial material disposal. This study aims to investigate the comprehensive superiority of this practice. For this purpose, a traditional gravel-based horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland (system 1) and a horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland filled with recycled concrete aggregate (system 2) were studied. Life cycle assessment combined with life cycle cost analysis was carried out to reveal the systems’ environmental burden and economic effectiveness. Grey water footprint reduction was calculated to represent the systems’ wastewater polish performance. Finally, a new index was initiated to facilitate the comparison between system 1 and 2. Results have demonstrated that substrate makes great contribution to the life-cycle environmental burden (25.2%) and total costs (55.1%) of constructed wetland and using recycled concrete aggregate as the substrate can lower them. LCEB is reduced by 36.6% while LCC is reduced by 23.2%. Due to better phosphorus removal capacity, horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland filled with recycled concrete aggregate is superior to traditional gravel-based horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland concerned with wastewater polish performance. Grey water footprint reduction of system 2 is on average 4.5 times as large as that of system 1. The comprehensive benefits assessment result indicates that using recycled concrete aggregate instead of gravel has an absolute superiority and the superiority is more evident when polishing secondary effluent.

PRO104 Risk Factors for NOVEL Pharmaceutical Products of Being Imposed with a Registry during the German Benefit Assessment

In Germany, novel drugs must pass a comprehensive benefit assessment process by the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA), after approval is granted by the European Medicine Agency (EMA). Since 2019, a German law intends to include real-world evidence in benefit assessments initially based on insufficient evidence. In this study, time-limited G-BA procedures with a registry requirement serving as an additional evidence base in the re-assessment were evaluated. Using the SKC MAIS-database, which is based on publicly available German benefit assessment and pricing data, time-limited benefit assessments in combination with registry requirements were identified until June 2020 and related constraints, justifications, and deadlines were analysed. For a total of 73 benefit assessments, the G-BA resolution was time-limited so far. 30 of these procedures (41%) concerned orphan drugs. In five of these orphan drug assessments, all of which received a non-quantifiable benefit, the G-BA requested for additional data collection based on a registry to close an existing evidence gap. The first benefit re-assessment of asfotase alfa was completed in April 2020 (price negotiations ongoing), whereas the other four assessments are still pending up to 2022. In all cases, the EMA previously required a patient registry in connection with the approval to gather additional evidence for long-term safety and efficacy of the drug. However, our analysis shows that EMA registry requirements differ from those by the G-BA. In 3/5 cases (60%) the G-BA requested additional registry data on patient-relevant endpoints specific for the German healthcare context. Approval and benefit assessment of orphan drugs are often based on low evidence due to small target populations. The likelihood of being imposed with a registry requirement by the G-BA for generation of additional evidence increases with a registry requested by the EMA, although methodological requirements differ considerably between the HTA authorities.

Comprehensive Benefit Evaluation of Several Typical Types of Marine Development: A Case Study of Jiangsu Province, China

Gao, S.; Sun, H.H.; Ma, M.S.; Lu, Y.Y.; Cao, G.X.; Zhao, L., and Liu, W., 2020. Comprehensive benefit evaluation of several typical types of marine development: A case study of Jiangsu Province, China. In: Guido Aldana, P.A. and Kantamaneni, K. (eds.), Advances in Water Resources, Coastal Management, and Marine Science Technology. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 104, pp. 512–519. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.With the intensification of marine development activities, the comprehensive benefit assessment of marine development type is of great significance to promote the coordinated development of marine resources, environment and economy. In this study, four typical types of marine development, including aquaculture, offshore wind power, sewage dumping and port industry in Jiangsu Province, are taken as examples. Based on the calculation of economic net benefit, loss value of wetland ecosystem service function value, loss value of fishery resources and ecological profit and loss value, the comprehensive benefit evaluation value per unit area is obtained. It is found that the order of comprehensive benefit value from high to low is port industry, offshore wind power, sewage dumping and aquaculture, in which the contribution of economic net benefit is the largest. After deducting the net social and economic benefits, the comprehensive benefit values are sorted as offshore wind power, sewage dumping, aquaculture and port industry. The objective evaluation of the comprehensive benefit value of the type of marine development and the in-depth analysis of its internal composition can help us to understand the main influencing factors of the type of marine development, which is of positive significance to promote the reasonable selection of the type of marine development in each region and adjust the marine development countermeasures in time.

Research on the comprehensive benefits and driving forces of various typical types of marine development in Jiangsu Province

The comprehensive benefit assessment of marine development type is an important basis for marine development according to local conditions. It is of great significance to realize the rationality of marine development and promote the sustainable development of the ocean. This paper calculates the economic net benefit, ecosystem service function loss value, fishery resource loss value and ecological profit and loss value of four main types of marine development projects in Jiangsu Province. The evaluation, correlation and driving force analysis of the comprehensive benefit value per unit area of marine development type are carried out. It is found that the sequence of economic net benefit and comprehensive benefit value is the same, from the highest to the lowest, they are port industry, offshore wind power, sewage dumping and aquaculture. After deducting the economic benefit value, the comprehensive benefit value is in the order of offshore wind power, aquaculture, port industry, sewage dumping, and the evaluation value is very close. Economic net benefit, ecosystem service function loss value and comprehensive benefit value have the most significant correlation. Through principal component analysis, it is found that economic net benefit is the key driving factor.

The Research on the Benefit Evaluation Methodology of the Global Energy Internet and Case Analysis

This research focuses on the impact of Global Energy Internet(GEI)on the power system, energy environment, economy and society, and builds the comprehensive benefit assessment system of GEI. The benefit evaluation model system that realizes the quantitative assessment of the comprehensive benefits of GEI from the perspectives of economy, society, energy, and environment is constructed, which is based on global power Planning and production simulation model, Global Trade Analysis project(GTAP) and Climate Change Assessment Model (MEGGIC).The results show that GEI is conducive to realize the complementary benefits of multiple energy sources across region, achieve a win-win between the main sending and receiving areas, promote the use of renewable energy resources, and help achieve the 2°C temperature control target.

Economic valuation of ecosystem services for the sustainable management of agropastoral dams. A case study of the Sakabansi dam, northern Benin

Abstract Agro-pastoral dams are multiple purpose water reservoirs primarily constructed to help pastoralists and riparian farmers address water shortages in rural areas. These dams are often surrounded by a buffer zone intended to minimize sedimentation and evapotranspiration. In spite of the importance of these dams for riparian communities’ livelihoods, their sustainability is nowadays challenged by various management issues underlined by stakeholders’ perception and valuation of ecosystem services provided by the dam system (reservoir-buffer zone). Taking the agro-pastoral dam of Sakabansi village in northern Benin as a case study, we assessed, quantified and valued both actual and potential benefits derived by riparian communities from the dam system using the ecosystem services cascade model as a conceptual framework. The Aggregated Economic Value of services provided by the dam system was estimated to 128,166 € based on nine ecosystem services. Fishery activities, despite causing conflicts between two major stakeholders of the dam, represented less than 0.09% of the Aggregated Economic Value. This suggests the crucial need to raise communities’ awareness on the economic value of various other benefits they derived from the dam system in order to facilitate a more comprehensive assessment of benefits and costs. We finally discussed the relevance of our valuation outputs in analysing trade-offs among services and in fostering stakeholder dialogues to inform land allocation and management at the local scale.

Comprehensive benefits assessment of different new energy generation technologies for global energy Internet development

The development of economy and society consumes a large-scale traditional fossil energy, which results the surface subsidence, water pollution, climate change, acid rain, fog, haze environmental problems and so on. The emergence of the global energy internet has played a crucial role in solving these problems. To meet the sustainable development needs of global energy, clean energy is fundamental. We should promote the development of clean alternative and electric energy alternative, and expand the scale of clean energy development and utilization. The innovation and economic improvement of clean energy generation technology provide a good prospect for the development of clean energy. In this paper, we put forward a comprehensive benefits assessment of different new energy generation technologies for global energy Internet development. The research results show that wind power, photovoltaic power generation and biomass power generation have the very good comprehensive benefits for the global energy internet.

Comprehensive benefits assessment of the ecological management model in Hobq Desert of China

The Hobq Desert is the seventh largest desert in China. Since 1988, the effects of ecological management in Hobq Desert have been obvious and a typical desertification control model developed gradually, which is well known as the 'Hobq model'. It is important to evaluate the comprehensive benefits of the 'Hobq model', but this has not been addressed in previous studies. Thus, we established an index system to comprehensively evaluate the benefits of the 'Hobq model', using an analytic hierarchy process method from 1988 to 2013. The results show the following: ecological benefits of the 'Hobq model' had a positive trend, but with fluctuations during 2008 and 2009; economic benefits increased by 74% and the maximum value occurred in 2013; and social benefits increased steadily, but with fluctuations in 2010 and 2011. The social benefits were higher than ecological and economic benefits in the same period. Trends in overall benefits of the 'Hobq model' were similar to changes in ecological benefits, which increased each year.

Impacts of regulated deficit irrigation on yield, quality and water use efficiency of Arabica coffee under different shading levels in dry and hot regions of southwest China

The yield and quality of Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica) cannot be guaranteed due to irrational irrigation and light management in dry and hot regions of southwest China. The objective of this study was to obtain rational irrigation and shading mode for efficient light and water use, suitable yield and high nutritional quality of Arabica coffee. Taking full irrigation (FI) as the control, the effects of deficit irrigation (DI) (DI75 and DI50, 75 and 50% of full irrigation amount, respectively) on photosynthesis, yield, nutritional quality and water use efficiency (WUE) were investigated under four shading levels (Sh0 no shading, Sh30, Sh45 and Sh60, 30, 45 and 60% shading, respectively) using the field experiments, and a comprehensive benefit assessment model of yield, nutritional quality and WUE was established under different irrigation and shading treatments. Results indicated that DI75 increased leaf apparent radiation use efficiency and the contents of crude fat and chlorogenic acid in dry bean if compared to FI. In comparison with Sh0, Sh30 enhanced dry bean yield, WUE and the contents of total sugar and chlorogenic acid in dry bean. Compared with FISh0 (CK), DI75Sh30 raised dry bean yield, WUE, and the contents of total sugar, protein, crude fat and chlorogenic acid, but reduced the caffeine content. Principal component analysis showed that DI75Sh30 had optimal comprehensive nutritional quality, and TOPSIS method indicated that DI75Sh30 had the optimal comprehensive benefit, showing that our results can provide scientific basis for rational irrigation and light management of Arabica coffee in dry and hot regions.

Comprehensive benefit analysis of regional water resources based on multi-objective evaluation

The purpose of the water resources comprehensive benefits analysis is to maximize the comprehensive benefits on the aspects of social, economic and ecological environment. Aiming at the defects of the traditional analytic hierarchy process in the evaluation of water resources, it proposed a comprehensive benefit evaluation of social, economic and environmental benefits index from the perspective of water resources comprehensive benefit in the social system, economic system and environmental system; determined the index weight by the improved fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (AHP), calculated the relative index of water resources comprehensive benefit and analyzed the comprehensive benefit of water resources in Xiangshui County by the multi-objective evaluation model. Based on the water resources data in Xiangshui County, 20 main comprehensive benefit assessment factors of 5 districts belonged to Xiangshui County were evaluated. The results showed that the comprehensive benefit of Xiangshui County was 0.7317, meanwhile the social economy has a further development space in the current situation of water resources.

基于多层模糊优选的水资源开发利用措施综合效益评价

针对城市水资源开发利用措施综合效益评价存在的层次复杂、指标不易确定、指标繁多等问题，本文结合二元对比确定权重的方法，构建了同时考虑定量指标和定性指标，涵盖技术经济、生态环境效益和社会经济效益的城市水资源开发利用措施综合效益评价模型。以天津市为例，评价城市污水回用、海水淡化以及南水北调措施的水资源开发利用措施综合效益。结果表明，天津市水资源开发利用措施综合效益最优为污水回用措施，南水北调次之，海水淡化效益最差，其结果与层次分析法一致，说明了模糊优选方法适用于水资源开发利用措施综合效益评价。与层次分析法相比，多层模糊优选法不仅能对每个方案做出优劣评价还可用于不同方案的优选。 In consideration of the complicated hierarchy, fuzziness and diversity of indexes in the comprehensive benefit assessment of city water resources development and utilization measures, combined with the method of dualistic factor contrast for indexes weight, an assessment model which covers the benefits of technical economy, ecological environment and social economy considering both quantitative and qua-litative indexes is developed. Taking Tianjin city as an example, the model is applied to assess the com-prehensive benefit of sewage water reuse, seawater desalination and the South-to-North Water Transfer Project. It is found that the optimal measure is sewage water reuse, followed by the South-to-North Water Transfer Project and seawater desalination, and the result is consistent with the analytic hierarchy process, explaining that the fuzzy optimization method is applicable to water resources development and utilization measures of comprehensive benefit assessment. Different from analytic hierarchy process, multilayer fuzzy optimization method can not only evaluate the merits of each scheme, but also select the preferable one.

Analysis of Comprehensive Benefits of Environmental Protection Investments Based on Projection Pursuit Model

Based on the theory of Projection Pursuit Model, a comprehensive benefits assessment model for environmental protection investments was built. According to values of the projection vector components, contributions of evaluation index to the comprehensive benefits were analyzed. On the basis of the model, overall benefits of provincial environmental protection investments were assessed. Results showed that, comprehensive benefits of environmental protection investments in annual 2010 had a strong regional property, descending from the east coast to the northwest inland, environmental protection benefits in provinces such as Shandong、Zhejiang and Jiangsu were higher, while in northwest inland, it was relatively low.