BENEFITS IDENTIFICATION AND EVALUATION OF FLOODWATER UTILIZATION IN BAICHENG REGION, NORTH-EASTERN CHINA

The utilization of small and medium magnitudes of floodwater has remarkable benefits when the supply of conventional water is scarce relative to demand. Conceptually correct and empirically accurate estimates of the benefits of floodwater utilization are essential for rational replenishment of scarce water in the fields of agriculture, industry, households, recreation and so on. This article raises several issues that should be considered in deriving sound evaluation of benefits of floodwater utilization. These include: (i) identifying and defining benefit categories according to flood loss analysis; (ii) establishing a universal benefits indices system and choosing the variable fuzzy pattern recognition model to evaluate the system; (iii) illustrating the benefits of floodwater utilization based on the floodwater utilization practices in the Baicheng Region of northeastern China. An integrated floodwater utilization benefits research framework suggests that a combination of direct economic benefit, eco-environmental benefit and social benefit can provide complementary insights into sustainable water utilization. Evaluation of the comprehensive benefits of floodwater resources enables decision makers to make more informed choices on floodwater use safely and allocated soundly, in which the full extent of growing demands for these uses is seen in the face of increased scarcity. Copyright (c) 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.