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SUMMARY:Inverse parameter estimation of Environmental Benefit Functions: a
 pproach and research avenues
DTSTART:20110314T161500
DTSTAMP:20260414T132345Z
UID:1a5a140a73c552ba73c660196d99481624010a3d0f6b313a2cff989e
CATEGORIES:Conferences - Seminars
DESCRIPTION:Prof. Paolo PERONA\; AHEAD EPFL\nIn the time when climatic and
  ecosystem changes have been associated to human activities (Sala et al.\,
  2000) and alternative energy sources are sought\, traditional hydropower 
 production is still among the most diffused techniques\, especially in gla
 cierized basins of alpine countries (e.g.\, in Europe\, Switzerland follow
 s after Norway\, Austria and Iceland). Thus\, water exploitation and use y
 et question the definition of Environmental Flow Requirements in relation 
 to suitable release operational rules.\n\nWe discuss the possibility of ob
 taining flow variability from the economical competition for water between
  traditional and non-traditional water uses (e.g.\, the riparian environme
 nt)\, which requires assessing the coefficients of the benefit function fo
 r the use of water in the riparian environment. By means of marginal analy
 sis\, we derive a quasi-objective theory based on the assumption that the 
 system of all water uses (i.e.\, traditional and non-traditional) work at 
 the economical optimum\, and the objective existence of minimal and maxima
 l flows to constrain the optimization problem. We obtain an algebraic reso
 lution of the unknown parameters for either linear or nonlinear environmen
 tal marginal benefit functions\, and offer an interpretation of their econ
 omical meaning in the context of current scientific debates about the actu
 al existence of such functions. We show that such functions are indeed onl
 y meaningful in the specific economic context of the associated exploitati
 on activity\, which actually remains the true evaluator of the water value
  for both users. \n\nWe apply the resulting operational rules to both synt
 hetic and real river hydrographs of run-of-the-river exploitation activity
  and show how this approach generates natural-like flow regimes in the imp
 ounded river reach. Future both experimental and modeling research avenues
  of the Group AHEAD are discussed in the context of this SNF funded projec
 t as far as its scientific dissemination and practical relevance are conce
 rned. 
LOCATION:GR B3 30
STATUS:CONFIRMED
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