Planning and management of water-resource systems in developing countries

Abstract

The multipurpose use of water in all types of human activities and the intensive development and urbanization of settlements have resulted in a considerable increase in water demand and water pollution. This is why it is necessary to build complex, spatially scattered, multipurpose water-resources systems. The multiple objectives and limitations encountered in the planning and management of such systems result in the multidimensional mathematical formulation of the problem and in the application of complex models that need to be simplified. Their simplification often makes the obtained results and the influence of different criteria and limitations on the choice of a final solution somewhat unclear. To eliminate these weak points in the planning of complex water-resources systems, a multiphase optimization procedure is developed, leading to the development of complex, multipurpose water-resources systems. © ASCE.