Presenter
Miss. Jiaqing Wang, Tsinghua University
Co-author(s)
Mr. Junyu Wei, China Development Bank
Mr. Wenbo Shan, Tsinghua University
Prof. Jianshi Zhao, Tsinghua University
Sub-theme
1. Water-Human-Economy(Agriculture, Industry, City...)-Ecology Nexus under a Changing Environment
Topic
1-2. Vulnerability and adaptability of water-land-energy-food nexus
Body
The Brahmaputra River Basin (BRB) is the most environmentally fragile and politically unstable transboundary river basin in South Asia. Therefore, incorporating the environmental sector into water-energy-food system analysis is necessary to better serve water resource management in the BRB. Integrated water resources system analysis can provide more perspectives for alleviating political tension and promoting cooperation in the basin. This study proposes a modeling framework to explore the water-energy-food-environment (WEFE) nexus and analyze transboundary cooperation opportunities in the BRB. Employing the framework, we attempt to answer three questions: (1) how can we understand the relationships between various sectors and coordinate their water demands? (2) How do these relationships influence riparian countries’ decisions in the BRB? (3) What measures can promote the sustainable development of the BRB under climate change and water infrastructure development? The results show that the trade-off curve between economic benefits and environmental costs has declining marginal value in the BRB. When environmental constraints are raised, countries are more inclined to cooperate to obtain more economic benefits. Full cooperation in the BRB increases the economic benefits and prompts riparian countries to take a greener road among the shared socioeconomic pathways (SSP126). Water resource project construction can improve the utility of water resources in a country, thus enhancing its discourse power on benefit reallocation. A sustainable development road for the BRB is proposed based on the analysis. We recommend environmental protection goals under three SSPs, including short-term goals (DDCR = 6.63% under SSP126, DDCR = 4.93% under SSP370, DDCR = 7.14% under SSP585) and long-term goals (DDCR = 1.70% under SSP126, DDCR = 1.36% under SSP370, DDCR = 0.85% under SSP585). The findings can help riparian countries and stakeholders understand the situation in the near future under accelerating water infrastructure development and climate change and promote full cooperation in the BRB.