Articles | Volume 30, issue 7
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-2161-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-2161-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
16 Apr 2026
Research article |
| 16 Apr 2026
| 16 Apr 2026
Hydroeconomic optimization of water management in the Yellow River Basin: dealing with scarcity
Yuhan Yan
ZJU-UIUC Institute, International Campus, Zhejiang University, Haining, Zhejiang 314400, China
College of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
Illinois State Water Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, USA
ZJU-UIUC Institute, International Campus, Zhejiang University, Haining, Zhejiang 314400, China
College of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
Ximing Cai
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
Zhenxing Zhang
Illinois State Water Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, USA
Yunlu Ma
ZJU-UIUC Institute, International Campus, Zhejiang University, Haining, Zhejiang 314400, China
College of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
Jay R. Lund
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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Sadia Bibi, Tingju Zhu, Ashraf Rateb, Bridget R. Scanlon, Muhammad Aqeel Kamran, Abdelrazek Elnashar, Ali Bennour, and Ci Li
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 1725–1750, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-1725-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-1725-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We assessed 13 global models using GRACE satellite data over 29 river basins. Simulated seasonal water storage cycles showed discrepancies compared to GRACE. The models overestimated seasonal amplitude in boreal basins and showed underestimation in tropical, arid, and temperate zones, with phase differences of 2–3 months compared to GRACE in cold basins and of 1 month in temperate, arid, and semi-arid basins. Seasonal amplitude and phase differences provide insights for model improvement.
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Short summary
Water scarcity limits development in many dry regions. This study builds a basin-wide integrated model to optimize water use in China’s Yellow River Basin. Results show that water is scarcer and economically more valuable downstream, increasing pressure on human and ecological water needs. Better coordination of reservoirs and groundwater and shifting water to higher-value uses can improve reliability and productivity. These findings offer lessons for managing scarce water in basins worldwide.
Water scarcity limits development in many dry regions. This study builds a basin-wide integrated...
