title: An integrated system dynamics model developed for managing lake water quality at the watershed scale.
abstract: A reliable system simulation to relate socioeconomic development with water environment and to comprehensively represent a watershed's dynamic features is important. In this study, after identifying lake watershed system processes, we developed a system dynamics modeling framework for managing lake water quality at the watershed scale. Two reinforcing loops (Development and Investment Promotion) and three balancing loops (Pollution, Resource Consumption, and Pollution Control) were constituted. Based on this work, we constructed Stock and Flow Diagrams that embedded a pollutant load model and a lake water quality model into a socioeconomic system dynamics model. The Dianchi Lake in Yunnan Province, China, which is the sixth largest and among the most severely polluted freshwater lakes in China, was employed as a case study to demonstrate the applicability of the model. Water quality parameters considered in the model included chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP). The business-as-usual (BAU) scenario and three alternative management scenarios on spatial adjustment of industries and population (S1), wastewater treatment capacity construction (S2), and structural adjustment of agriculture (S3), were simulated to assess the effectiveness of certain policies in improving water quality. Results showed that S2 is most effective scenario, and the COD, TN, and TP concentrations in Caohai in 2030 are 52.5, 10.9, and 0.8 mg/L, while those in Waihai are 9.6, 1.2, and 0.08 mg/L, with sustained development in the watershed. Thus, the model can help support the decision making required in development and environmental protection strategies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography and Resource Management, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China. Electronic address: pkuliuh@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA. Electronic address: gabouryb@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Gaboury
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Benoit
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. Electronic address: liutaopku@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China. Electronic address: yongliu@pku.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China. Electronic address: hcguo@pku.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Huaicheng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D006801:Humans; D060106:Lakes; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D014872:Water Movements; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control*; D060753:Water Quality
keywords: Lake water quality; Socioeconomic development; System dynamics modeling; Watershed management