Application of Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) model for water resources management strategy estimation in coastal Binhai New Area, China

Coastal zones are attractive areas for economic activities and residence due to their productive natural resources. The Binhai New Area (BHNA), the third coastal economic development zone in China behind Pudong New Area (PDNA, Shanghai) and Shenzhen Special Economic Zone (SSEC, Guangdong), is facing the challenge of a severe water shortage and sustainable development of the coastal zone. This study analyzed the future water situation in the BHNA by setting different scenarios of socio-development and urbanization until 2020. A modeling system named the Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) was used to evaluate the sustainability of limited water resources management strategies in BHNA. The WEAP model has advantages for analyzing and simulating different water systems. Three scenarios were set up for the BHNA based on the developing process of PDNA and SSEC. The three scenarios were urbanization, industrial structure adjustment, and the policy change of water resources allocation. The results illustrated that the pressure on the BHNA water resources will increase in the future, and several suggestions were advanced to assist decision makers in planning water management to meet future demands in this region.