Multiobjective Analysis of Multireservoir System

Abstract

The explicit consideration of multiple objectives in decision making is becoming increasingly important in water resources systems analysis. Conflicting objectives like irrigation, flood control, hydropower production, and environmental preservation are inevitable while deriving the operating alternatives in an efficient way for any complex water resources system. In this paper, a linear multiobjective programming model has been developed and the constraint technique was used to derive the optimal releases for various purposes from a large‐scale multireservoir system consisting of five reservoirs in India. Maximization of irrigation releases and maximization of hydropower production have been considered as the twin objectives in the model subjected to constraints on physical limitations, environmental restrictions, and storage continuity. This model was applied to three series of inflow sequences representing the normal, drought, and excess‐flow conditions. The tradeoff analysis between the conflicting objectives of irrigation and hydropower production was also carried out and the transformation curve was plotted. The optimal point on this curve gives the best combination of the twin objectives considered in the model.