Simulation and Control of Water Pollution Load in the Xiaoxingkai Lake Basin Based on a System Dynamics Model

Yaping Wu, Dan Chen, Fujia Li, Mingming Feng, Ping Wang, Lingang Hao and Chunnuan Deng ()
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Yaping Wu: Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plateau Geographical Process and Environmental Change, Faculty of Geography, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming 650500, China
Dan Chen: Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plateau Geographical Process and Environmental Change, Faculty of Geography, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming 650500, China
Fujia Li: Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Mingming Feng: Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Ping Wang: Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Lingang Hao: Yellow River Institute of Hydraulic Research, Yellow River Conservancy Commission (YRCC), No. 45 Shunhe Road, Zhengzhou 450003, China
Chunnuan Deng: Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plateau Geographical Process and Environmental Change, Faculty of Geography, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming 650500, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 15, 1-16

Abstract: With the rapid development of the social economy, human activities have increasingly disrupted water environments, and the continuous input of pollutants poses significant challenges for water environment management. Taking the Xiaoxingkai Lake basin as the study area, this paper develops a social–economic–water environment model based on the system dynamics methodology, incorporating subsystems for population, agriculture, and water pollution. The model focuses on four key indicators of pollution severity, namely, total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and ammonia nitrogen (NH 3 -N), and simulates the changes in pollutant loads entering the river under five different scenarios from 2020 to 2030. The results show that agricultural non-point sources are the primary contributors to TN (79.5%) and TP (73.7%), while COD primarily originates from domestic sources (64.2%). NH 3 -N is mainly influenced by urban domestic activities (44.7%) and agricultural cultivation (41.2%). Under the status quo development scenario, pollutant loads continue to rise, with more pronounced increases under the economic development scenario, thus posing significant sustainability risks. The pollution control enhancement scenario is most effective in controlling pollutants, but it does not promote socio-economic development and has high implementation costs, failing to achieve coordinated socio-economic and environmental development in the region. The dual-reinforcement scenario and moderate-reinforcement scenario achieve a balance between pollution control and economic development, with the moderate-reinforcement scenario being more suitable for long-term regional development. The findings can provide a scientific basis for water resource management and planning in the Xiaoxingkai Lake basin.

Keywords: system dynamics model; scenario analysis; pollution load; Xiaoxingkai Lake basin (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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