Robust Stackelberg Equilibrium Water Allocation Patterns in Shallow Groundwater Areas

Abstract It is challenging for decision‐makers (DMs) to deal with uncertainties in multi‐level agricultural water resource systems, where DMs independently make decisions but have different levels of power. In this paper, we model the multi‐level agricultural water resources system under deep uncert...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Xiaoxing Zhang, Andrea Castelletti, Xuechao Wang, Ping Guo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2024-08-01
Series:Water Resources Research
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2023WR035373
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849393366571155456
author Xiaoxing Zhang
Andrea Castelletti
Xuechao Wang
Ping Guo
author_facet Xiaoxing Zhang
Andrea Castelletti
Xuechao Wang
Ping Guo
author_sort Xiaoxing Zhang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract It is challenging for decision‐makers (DMs) to deal with uncertainties in multi‐level agricultural water resource systems, where DMs independently make decisions but have different levels of power. In this paper, we model the multi‐level agricultural water resources system under deep uncertainties as a Stackelberg game, use multi‐level programming to solve equilibrium water allocation problems, and introduce robustness metrics into multi‐level programming to balance solution feasibility and model optimality within uncertain environments. The approach is applied to a shallow groundwater area with three decision levels, pursuing, from the top level to the bottom one, high food production, fair water allocation, and increased economic benefit. The model generated a series of optimal equilibrium solutions with different robustness degrees. DMs can choose “rational” solutions according to their acceptable costs, oriented robustness degree, expected objective values, and advance risk assessment of uncertainties. Among these solutions, we capture a critical point with high objective values and strong robustness, where DMs can accomplish both objective optimality and solution robustness with a low cost. The proposed approach in this study provides a posterior decision support to consider solution robustness while designing policies in multi‐level agricultural water resource systems under deep uncertainties.
format Article
id doaj-art-f73bec35e6d241328fded29c8075c158
institution Kabale University
issn 0043-1397
1944-7973
language English
publishDate 2024-08-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Water Resources Research
spelling doaj-art-f73bec35e6d241328fded29c8075c1582025-08-20T03:40:26ZengWileyWater Resources Research0043-13971944-79732024-08-01608n/an/a10.1029/2023WR035373Robust Stackelberg Equilibrium Water Allocation Patterns in Shallow Groundwater AreasXiaoxing Zhang0Andrea Castelletti1Xuechao Wang2Ping Guo3Center for Agricultural Water Research in China China Agricultural University Beijing ChinaDepartment of Electronics, Information, and Bioengineering Politecnico di Milano Milano ItalyYellow River Engineering Consulting Co., Ltd. Zhengzhou ChinaCenter for Agricultural Water Research in China China Agricultural University Beijing ChinaAbstract It is challenging for decision‐makers (DMs) to deal with uncertainties in multi‐level agricultural water resource systems, where DMs independently make decisions but have different levels of power. In this paper, we model the multi‐level agricultural water resources system under deep uncertainties as a Stackelberg game, use multi‐level programming to solve equilibrium water allocation problems, and introduce robustness metrics into multi‐level programming to balance solution feasibility and model optimality within uncertain environments. The approach is applied to a shallow groundwater area with three decision levels, pursuing, from the top level to the bottom one, high food production, fair water allocation, and increased economic benefit. The model generated a series of optimal equilibrium solutions with different robustness degrees. DMs can choose “rational” solutions according to their acceptable costs, oriented robustness degree, expected objective values, and advance risk assessment of uncertainties. Among these solutions, we capture a critical point with high objective values and strong robustness, where DMs can accomplish both objective optimality and solution robustness with a low cost. The proposed approach in this study provides a posterior decision support to consider solution robustness while designing policies in multi‐level agricultural water resource systems under deep uncertainties.https://doi.org/10.1029/2023WR035373robustStackelberg gameuncertaintyshallow groundwater areamulti‐level programming
spellingShingle Xiaoxing Zhang
Andrea Castelletti
Xuechao Wang
Ping Guo
Robust Stackelberg Equilibrium Water Allocation Patterns in Shallow Groundwater Areas
Water Resources Research
robust
Stackelberg game
uncertainty
shallow groundwater area
multi‐level programming
title Robust Stackelberg Equilibrium Water Allocation Patterns in Shallow Groundwater Areas
title_full Robust Stackelberg Equilibrium Water Allocation Patterns in Shallow Groundwater Areas
title_fullStr Robust Stackelberg Equilibrium Water Allocation Patterns in Shallow Groundwater Areas
title_full_unstemmed Robust Stackelberg Equilibrium Water Allocation Patterns in Shallow Groundwater Areas
title_short Robust Stackelberg Equilibrium Water Allocation Patterns in Shallow Groundwater Areas
title_sort robust stackelberg equilibrium water allocation patterns in shallow groundwater areas
topic robust
Stackelberg game
uncertainty
shallow groundwater area
multi‐level programming
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2023WR035373
work_keys_str_mv AT xiaoxingzhang robuststackelbergequilibriumwaterallocationpatternsinshallowgroundwaterareas
AT andreacastelletti robuststackelbergequilibriumwaterallocationpatternsinshallowgroundwaterareas
AT xuechaowang robuststackelbergequilibriumwaterallocationpatternsinshallowgroundwaterareas
AT pingguo robuststackelbergequilibriumwaterallocationpatternsinshallowgroundwaterareas