title: Waste load equilibrium allocation: a soft path for coping with deteriorating water systems.
abstract: Waste load allocation is always regarded as another efficient approach comparing with the technology-based approach to improve the water quality. This paper proposes a bi-level multi-objective optimization model for optimally allocating the waste load of a river basin incorporating some concerns (i) the allocation equity from the regional authority, (ii) maximal benefits from the subareas along the river, and (iii) the Stackelberg-Nash-Cournot equilibrium strategy between the upper and lower decision makers. Especially, a novel Gini coefficient for measuring the load allocation equity is defined by considering the economic level and waste water quantity. The applicability and effectiveness of the proposed model is demonstrated through a practical case based on the Tuojiang River, which is a typical basin with diversified industrial waste discharges in western China. Some operational suggestions are developed to assist the decision makers' cope with deteriorating water systems.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, People's Republic of China.|Uncertainty Decision-Making Laboratory, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Liming
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, People's Republic of China. xujiuping@scu.edu.cn.|Uncertainty Decision-Making Laboratory, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, People's Republic of China. xujiuping@scu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Jiuping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, People's Republic of China.|Uncertainty Decision-Making Laboratory, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Mengxiang
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Low Carbon Technology and Economic Research Center, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chengwei
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.affiliation: Neijiang Survey and Design Institute of Water Conservancy and Hydropower, Neijiang, 641000, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chaozhi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D003657:Decision Making; D007220:Industrial Waste / Q000032:analysis / Q000191:economics; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry*; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000191:economics; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000032:analysis / Q000191:economics; D060753:Water Quality
chemical_list: D007220:Industrial Waste; D062065:Wastewater
keywords: Bi-level multi-objective optimization model; Soft path; Stackelberg-Nash-Cournot equilibrium; Water quality