Title: Assessment of investment system for rural resources and water quality management: multi-objective optimisation of interregional sustainable development

Authors: Shoichi Kiyama

Addresses: Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa, Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan

Abstract: This study intends to develop a decision making model that gives a solution of social problems such as widening economic gap between rural and urban regions and the corresponding environmental pollution. To revitalise regions that confront rural collapse, a framework of interregional management should be sought. A household investment system is taken up as a watershed-based management approach that enables to improve the water quality and realise sustainable agricultural activities. Multi-objective optimisation problems regarding regional long-term utilities are solved with a water pollutant emission model and an investment behavioural model. The proposed investment system is assessed in terms of interregional economic growth and environmental conservation. As a result, the investment system works well on an additional rural economic development and the watershed water quality conservation without interrupting regional economic growth.

Keywords: interregional management systems; investment models; rural resources; multiobjective optimisation; water pollution; water quality management; sustainable development; sustainability; decision making; environmental policy.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEPDM.2010.033913

International Journal of Environmental Policy and Decision Making, 2010 Vol.1 No.1, pp.77 - 96

Published online: 03 Jul 2010 *

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