Zhang et al. (2026) Influence of water network structure on regional water allocation under supply variability

Identification

• Journal: Journal of Hydrology
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-09-18
• Authors: Yalin Zhang, Xin Li, Wenyan Wu, Lixiang Dong, Guohua Fang, Huayu Zhong
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2026.136459

Research Groups

College of Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering, Hohai University (China) Department of Infrastructure Engineering, The University of Melbourne (Australia) Taizhou Water Resources and Hydropower Survey and Design Institute Co., Ltd. (China) State Key Laboratory of Water Engineering Ecology and Environment in Arid Area, Xi’an University of Technology (China)

Short Summary

This study investigates the impact of water network structure on regional water allocation under supply variability using a complex network-based framework. The results show that network structure strongly affects allocation performance and supply utilization under uncertainty.

Objective

• Investigate how water network structure influences regional water allocation outcomes under variable supply conditions

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Regional scale, focusing on the Taizhou water network in Eastern Zhejiang Province, China
• Temporal Scale: Interannual variability in allocatable water supply (2020-2030)

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Coupled system of complex network-based structural representation and multi-objective allocation modeling
• Data sources: Water supply data from the Eastern Zhejiang Water Transfer Project, network topology data from Taizhou water network infrastructure

Main Results

• Network structure strongly affects allocation performance under supply variability: enhanced connectivity and path redundancy improve shortage mitigation and equity without increasing total supply.
• Effects of supply expansion depend strongly on underlying network configuration, highlighting interdependence between infrastructure development and allocation outcomes.

Contributions

• This study provides a systematic basis for evaluating structural interventions in regional water systems and supports the transition from supply-centric planning toward structure-informed optimization.
• The proposed framework highlights the importance of considering network structure when designing regional water allocation strategies under uncertainty.

Funding

• National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 52109251)
• State Key Laboratory of Water Engineering Ecology and Environment in Arid Area, Xi’an University of Technology (Grant No. SKLWEEA2023001)

Citation

@article{Zhang2026Influence,
  author = {Zhang, Yalin and Li, Xin and Wu, Wenyan and Dong, Lixiang and Fang, Guohua and Zhong, Huayu},
  title = {Influence of water network structure on regional water allocation under supply variability},
  journal = {Journal of Hydrology},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.jhydrol.2026.136459},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2026.136459}
}