Multiple-use Resource Management

Choosing an appropriate reservoir management strategy can be challenging when reservoir water has multiple potentially conflicting uses. Conflicts of interest can arise when attempts are made to allocate water optimally and to maximize the benefits of its allocation to various uses. This book examines this problem for reservoir managers in Vietnam where water is used for two competing production systems, irrigation and fisheries, which differ with respect to their needs for quantity and timing of water release. A stochastic dynamic optimization model incorporates two dynamic simulation models, one based on dated water production functions for irrigated agriculture, and one representing the bio-economics of a reservoir fishery. The model accounts for variations in rainfall patterns, irrigation requirements and the demand of low water levels for fish harvesting. The model enables reservoir managers to define the optimal release rules for both single use (rice or fish), and multiple uses (rice and fish) of the reservoir water. The model could be applied to other multiple-use resources, such as forest, river basins, and land.