Equitable fund allocation, an economical approach for sustainable waste load allocation

Abstract

This research aims to study a novel approach for waste load allocation (WLA) to meet environmental, economical, and equity objectives, simultaneously. For this purpose, based on a simulation-optimization model developed for Haraz River in north of Iran, the waste loads are allocated according to discharge permit market. The non-dominated solutions are initially achieved through multiobjective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO). Here, the violation of environmental standards based on dissolved oxygen (DO) versus biochemical oxidation demand (BOD) removal costs is minimized to find economical total maximum daily loads (TMDLs). This can save 41% in total abatement costs in comparison with the conventional command and control policy. The BOD discharge permit market then increases the revenues to 45%. This framework ensures that the environmental limits are fulfilled but the inequity index is rather high (about 4.65). For instance, the discharge permit buyer may not be satisfied about the equity of WLA. Consequently, it is recommended that a third party or institution should be in charge of reallocating the funds. It means that the polluters which gain benefits by unfair discharges should pay taxes (or funds) to compensate the losses of other polluters. This intends to reduce the costs below the required values of the lowest inequity index condition. These compensations of equitable fund allocation (EFA) may help to reduce the dissatisfactions and develop WLA policies. It is concluded that EFA in integration with water quality trading (WQT) is a promising approach to meet the objectives.

Wastewater treatment systems selection inside watersheds by using multiobjective analysis

“…On the other hand, Nikoo, Kerachian and Niksokhan (2012), Mahjouri and Bizhani-Manzar (2013), Cho and Lee (2014), Lei et al (2015), Ashtiani, Niksokhan and Jamshidi (2015), Nikoo, Beiglou and Mahjouri (2016), Valory, Reis and Mendonça (2016) and Fantin, Reis and Mendonça (2017) works, in addition to minimizing treatment costs, incorporated into the wastewater management problem the "Polluter Pays Principle", which, in turn, expresses the notion that as greater the responsibility for pollution, greater should be the amount paid by the polluter. Thus, these studies considered costs distribution fairness principles, either in the search for water courses self-purification capacities adequate apportionment, or in the search for adequate costs distribution, also through water quality modeling and optimization techniques.…”

A novel integration of regret-based methodology and bankruptcy theory for waste load allocation

“…Subsequently, the obtained results are analyzed in the fifth section. The sixth section includes a comparative analysis between the methodology presented in this research and the methodology proposed by Nouri et al (2023). Finally, the last section provides a summary and conclusion of the research.…”

“…By examining the research conducted on the issue of determining WLA, it is evident that in most of the developed frameworks, a model has been placed as an allocator and less than the same optimization outputs have been used as WLA (Nouri et al, 2023). Each of these studies has its strengths, including the variety of conflict resolution methods at different levels and contexts.…”

“…Niksokhan et al (2009 a, b) and Nikoo et al (2011) presented the idea of game theory to fairly and efficiently allocated the waste load based on the polluters' cooperation. Farjoudi et al (2021), Nouri et al (2023) and Babamiri and Dinpashoh (2023) discussed the use of bankruptcy theory in order to redress the justice in complicated environmental conflicts. Despite individual strengths, each study exhibits weaknesses.…”

“…These include identifying the primary WLA and pollutant rights trading based on linear simulation assumptions in qualitative-quantitative simulation process of the river (e.g., Mesbah et al, 2009). A further weakness in past research is neglecting the impact of pollution discharge location on simulations when determining WLA was based on bankruptcy theory (Farjoudi et al (2021) and Nouri et al (2023)). While bankruptcy laws, relying on ethical, equitable, and reasonably efficient principles, provide a framework for fair asset distribution (Herrero and Villar (2001), Sheikhmohammady and Madani (2008), Li et al, (2020)), but other than them, the criteria that may depend on the nature of the problem under consideration should be taken into consideration.…”