Sustainable and Resilient Design of Interdependent Water and Energy Systems: A Conceptual Modeling Framework for Tackling Complexities at the Infrastructure-Human-Resource Nexus

Weiwei Mo, Zhongming Lu, Bistra Dilkina, Kevin H. Gardner, Ju-Chin Huang and Maria Christina Foreman
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Weiwei Mo: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
Zhongming Lu: School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Bistra Dilkina: School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
Kevin H. Gardner: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
Ju-Chin Huang: Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
Maria Christina Foreman: Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC 20590, USA

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 6, 1-10

Abstract: A modeling framework was conceptualized for capturing the complexities in resilience and sustainability associated with integration of centralized and decentralized water and energy systems under future demographic, climate, and technology scenarios. This framework integrates survey instruments for characterizing individual preferences (utility functions) related to decentralization of water and energy infrastructure systems. It also includes a spatial agent-based model to develop spatially explicit adoption trajectories and patterns in accordance with utility functions and characteristics of the major metropolitan case study locations as well as a system dynamics model that considers interactions among infrastructure systems, characterizes measures of resilience and sustainability, and feeds these back to the agent-based model. A cross-scale spatial optimization model for understanding and characterizing the possible best case outcomes and for informing the design of policies and incentive/disincentive programs is also included. This framework is able to provide a robust capacity for considering the ways in which future development of energy and water resources can be assessed.

Keywords: infrastructure interdependence; choice experiment; agent-based modeling; system dynamics modeling; spatial optimization; decentralization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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