Final Report Summary - AMWRUC (modelling of integrated water systems under uncertainty for aquatic environment rehabilitation in rapidly urbanised catchments)
Summary description of the project objectives
The project began on 1 September 2011. It is a project for the return phase of the main project with grant No. 2200448, which was carried out from 1 October 2008 to 30 September 2010. In the main project, a novel framework of approach, named SyDWEM, has been developed to model the integrated water systems, which is subjected to rapid changes over a relatively short period of time. The objectives of the project (return phase) are to update and refine the approach, carry out case studies and promote the applications of the approaches.
Work performed since the beginning of the project
The work performed since the beginning of the project includes: data collection; case studies; attending conferences, seminars and training; proposals for research project.
(1) Data collection: Rainfall, runoff and water quality of 26 storm events in 2011 were measured at the downstream section of the Shiyan River catchment, Shenzhen.
(2) Three distinct case studies were carried out. Firstly, the Shenzhen River catchment was chosen as a study area, the novel model (SyDWEM) was applied to simulate the dynamic interactions between the socio-economics, water infrastructure and receiving water processes in this catchment. The model was further applied to assess the effects of proposed socio-economic or engineering measures on environmental and development indicators in the catchment for the next 10 years (2011 - 2020). Secondly, the Shiyan River catchment was chosen as a study area, the rainfall runoff quality frequency distributions of the river were derived from continuous simulation, and the effects of the potential environment rehabilitation measures on the distributions were evaluated. And thirdly, taken Guangming new district of Shenzhen as a study area, the performance of a low impact development system on urban flooding reduction was analysed by a calibrated SWMM model.
(3) Attending conferences, seminars and training: The research fellow attended Eleventh International Conference on Computing and Control for the Water Industry, Urban Water Management: Challenges and Opportunities (Exeter, UK, 2011) and contributed an oral presentation; attended AGU Fall Meeting 2011 (San Francisco, US, 2011) and contributed a poster presentation; attended Advanced Forum of water environmental pollution control and ecological rehabilitation technology (Guangzhou, 2011) and contributed an oral presentation; attended International symposium of urban rainwater management (Shanghai, China, 2012) and contributed two papers; attended 2012 International Low-Carbon Development Forum (Shenzhen, China, 2012) and contributed an oral presentation. The researcher also attended the seminars hold by University of Peking University, Tsinghua University, National Seoul University, Chinese Research Academy of Environment Sciences and Research Academy of Environment Sciences of Guangdong Province.
(4) Proposals for research project: To facilitate the application of the approach developed in the project, the research has submitted several proposals in the reporting period, one for applying National Water Pollution Control and Treatment Project of China, one for applying Science & Technology Development Fund of Shenzhen City, China, one for applying Environmental Research Planning Project of Shenzhen City, China.
Main results achieved
The main results have been achieved include the following:
(1) Assessment of environmental improvement measures using a novel integrated model
In this study, we use a novel coupled system dynamics and water environmental model (SyDWEM) to simulate the dynamic interactions between the socio-economic system, water infrastructure and receiving water in a rapidly urbanising catchment in Shenzhen, China. The model is then applied to assess the effects of proposed socio-economic or engineering measures on environmental and development indicators in the catchment for 2011 - 2020. Based on the effectiveness of the individual measures, a combination of socio-economic and engineering measures is proposed, which can achieve water environmental sustainability in the study area. Thus, we demonstrate that SyDWEM has the capacity to evaluate the effects of both socio-economic and engineering measures; it also provides a tool for integrated decision making by socio-economic and water infrastructure planners.
(2) Frequency analysis of urban runoff quality in an urbanising catchment
This study investigates the frequency distributions of urban runoff quality using a long-term continuous simulation approach and evaluates the impacts of proposed runoff control schemes on runoff quality in an urbanising catchment in Shenzhen, China. The results obtained indicate that marginal benefits of improving water quality diminish as runoff control level increases, and pre-flood season has higher water quality risk than other seasons after runoff control. This study demonstrates that frequency analysis of urban runoff quantity and quality provides an uncertainty evaluation of pollution control measures, and thus helps frame a risk-based decision making for urban runoff quality management in an urbanising catchment.
(3) The effects of low impact development on urban flooding under different rainfall characteristics
Low impact development (LID) is regarded as an environmental rehabilitation measure in urbanized areas. In this study, an urbanising catchment in China is chosen as a case study, and the effects of a conventional drainage system (base case scenario) and three LID techniques (swale, permeable pavement and green roof) on urban flooding are analysed. A range of storm events with different rainfall amounts, durations and locations of peak rainfall intensity are considered for holistic assessment of the LID techniques. The results indicate that all three LID scenarios are more effective in flood reduction during heavier and shorter storm events. However, they perform best during a storm event with the peak intensity occurring at a different stage. The results obtained demonstrate that it is essential to analyse LID effects under different rainfall characteristics for effective urban flood management.
Conclusion
In conclusion, an innovative approach for modelling of integrated water systems in rapidly urbanising catchment has been successfully developed. The approach allows decision makers to investigate the feasibility of different catchment rehabilitation measures within a common platform for better comparison and sound judgments. Several case studies from Shenzhen, an emerging city in rapidly urbanising south-east coast of China, have been carried out to demonstrate the reliability and effectiveness of the approach.
The researcher involved a lot of the training activities in the project, e.g. seminars, courses, proposal preparation, planning and execution of measurement / experiment, model development, academic paper writing and presentation in conferences / seminars. The activities improved the researcher's academic skills in various aspects, which include paper writing, funding application, experiment design and organisation of team working.
Potential impact and use
The proposed modelling method for water systems in this research will provides an effective decision making support tool for integrated water systems management in developing countries. Application of this method will help ease the conflict between social-economic development and aquatic environment protection, and further boost the sustainable social-economic development in those applied areas. The results of the case studies in catchments of Shenzhen river and Shiyan Reservior (upstream of Maozhou river), China would be circulated to local government (e.g. Shenzhen Municipal Water Affairs Bureau and Shenzhen Environment Protection Bureau).
This research will build a bridge for long-term collaboration between these two institutes in EU-China. After the completion of this research, effort will be further made to apply the results from this research in practice, and gradually widen the collaboration fields, such as integrated water systems management, integrated optimisation of water systems, storm runoff pollution modelling and control, drinking water safety and ecological rehabilitation in rapidly urbanised catchment. The collaboration will take many forms, for example, setting up joint research projects, short term visiting, workshop, students (PhDs) training, setting up a joint research institute, and many more.
The project began on 1 September 2011. It is a project for the return phase of the main project with grant No. 2200448, which was carried out from 1 October 2008 to 30 September 2010. In the main project, a novel framework of approach, named SyDWEM, has been developed to model the integrated water systems, which is subjected to rapid changes over a relatively short period of time. The objectives of the project (return phase) are to update and refine the approach, carry out case studies and promote the applications of the approaches.
Work performed since the beginning of the project
The work performed since the beginning of the project includes: data collection; case studies; attending conferences, seminars and training; proposals for research project.
(1) Data collection: Rainfall, runoff and water quality of 26 storm events in 2011 were measured at the downstream section of the Shiyan River catchment, Shenzhen.
(2) Three distinct case studies were carried out. Firstly, the Shenzhen River catchment was chosen as a study area, the novel model (SyDWEM) was applied to simulate the dynamic interactions between the socio-economics, water infrastructure and receiving water processes in this catchment. The model was further applied to assess the effects of proposed socio-economic or engineering measures on environmental and development indicators in the catchment for the next 10 years (2011 - 2020). Secondly, the Shiyan River catchment was chosen as a study area, the rainfall runoff quality frequency distributions of the river were derived from continuous simulation, and the effects of the potential environment rehabilitation measures on the distributions were evaluated. And thirdly, taken Guangming new district of Shenzhen as a study area, the performance of a low impact development system on urban flooding reduction was analysed by a calibrated SWMM model.
(3) Attending conferences, seminars and training: The research fellow attended Eleventh International Conference on Computing and Control for the Water Industry, Urban Water Management: Challenges and Opportunities (Exeter, UK, 2011) and contributed an oral presentation; attended AGU Fall Meeting 2011 (San Francisco, US, 2011) and contributed a poster presentation; attended Advanced Forum of water environmental pollution control and ecological rehabilitation technology (Guangzhou, 2011) and contributed an oral presentation; attended International symposium of urban rainwater management (Shanghai, China, 2012) and contributed two papers; attended 2012 International Low-Carbon Development Forum (Shenzhen, China, 2012) and contributed an oral presentation. The researcher also attended the seminars hold by University of Peking University, Tsinghua University, National Seoul University, Chinese Research Academy of Environment Sciences and Research Academy of Environment Sciences of Guangdong Province.
(4) Proposals for research project: To facilitate the application of the approach developed in the project, the research has submitted several proposals in the reporting period, one for applying National Water Pollution Control and Treatment Project of China, one for applying Science & Technology Development Fund of Shenzhen City, China, one for applying Environmental Research Planning Project of Shenzhen City, China.
Main results achieved
The main results have been achieved include the following:
(1) Assessment of environmental improvement measures using a novel integrated model
In this study, we use a novel coupled system dynamics and water environmental model (SyDWEM) to simulate the dynamic interactions between the socio-economic system, water infrastructure and receiving water in a rapidly urbanising catchment in Shenzhen, China. The model is then applied to assess the effects of proposed socio-economic or engineering measures on environmental and development indicators in the catchment for 2011 - 2020. Based on the effectiveness of the individual measures, a combination of socio-economic and engineering measures is proposed, which can achieve water environmental sustainability in the study area. Thus, we demonstrate that SyDWEM has the capacity to evaluate the effects of both socio-economic and engineering measures; it also provides a tool for integrated decision making by socio-economic and water infrastructure planners.
(2) Frequency analysis of urban runoff quality in an urbanising catchment
This study investigates the frequency distributions of urban runoff quality using a long-term continuous simulation approach and evaluates the impacts of proposed runoff control schemes on runoff quality in an urbanising catchment in Shenzhen, China. The results obtained indicate that marginal benefits of improving water quality diminish as runoff control level increases, and pre-flood season has higher water quality risk than other seasons after runoff control. This study demonstrates that frequency analysis of urban runoff quantity and quality provides an uncertainty evaluation of pollution control measures, and thus helps frame a risk-based decision making for urban runoff quality management in an urbanising catchment.
(3) The effects of low impact development on urban flooding under different rainfall characteristics
Low impact development (LID) is regarded as an environmental rehabilitation measure in urbanized areas. In this study, an urbanising catchment in China is chosen as a case study, and the effects of a conventional drainage system (base case scenario) and three LID techniques (swale, permeable pavement and green roof) on urban flooding are analysed. A range of storm events with different rainfall amounts, durations and locations of peak rainfall intensity are considered for holistic assessment of the LID techniques. The results indicate that all three LID scenarios are more effective in flood reduction during heavier and shorter storm events. However, they perform best during a storm event with the peak intensity occurring at a different stage. The results obtained demonstrate that it is essential to analyse LID effects under different rainfall characteristics for effective urban flood management.
Conclusion
In conclusion, an innovative approach for modelling of integrated water systems in rapidly urbanising catchment has been successfully developed. The approach allows decision makers to investigate the feasibility of different catchment rehabilitation measures within a common platform for better comparison and sound judgments. Several case studies from Shenzhen, an emerging city in rapidly urbanising south-east coast of China, have been carried out to demonstrate the reliability and effectiveness of the approach.
The researcher involved a lot of the training activities in the project, e.g. seminars, courses, proposal preparation, planning and execution of measurement / experiment, model development, academic paper writing and presentation in conferences / seminars. The activities improved the researcher's academic skills in various aspects, which include paper writing, funding application, experiment design and organisation of team working.
Potential impact and use
The proposed modelling method for water systems in this research will provides an effective decision making support tool for integrated water systems management in developing countries. Application of this method will help ease the conflict between social-economic development and aquatic environment protection, and further boost the sustainable social-economic development in those applied areas. The results of the case studies in catchments of Shenzhen river and Shiyan Reservior (upstream of Maozhou river), China would be circulated to local government (e.g. Shenzhen Municipal Water Affairs Bureau and Shenzhen Environment Protection Bureau).
This research will build a bridge for long-term collaboration between these two institutes in EU-China. After the completion of this research, effort will be further made to apply the results from this research in practice, and gradually widen the collaboration fields, such as integrated water systems management, integrated optimisation of water systems, storm runoff pollution modelling and control, drinking water safety and ecological rehabilitation in rapidly urbanised catchment. The collaboration will take many forms, for example, setting up joint research projects, short term visiting, workshop, students (PhDs) training, setting up a joint research institute, and many more.