DECISION SUPPORT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY MAKING: A CASE STUDY FROM CHINA

In this presentation, we discuss a case study from China that attempts to address the interactions between pubic, policy and science. An operations research approach was used to establish social-economic-environmental multi-objective scenarios toward development of an optimal environmental management scheme. The multi-objective scenario analysis concerned the allocation and utilization of water resources under different industrial structures and considering future scientific advancements. Through CGE (computable general equilibrium) modeling analysis, the policy implications of different scenarios (e.g., different water prices) were quantified, including the impact on the growth of different economic sectors. Based on the modeling results, a strategy was proposed that promotes economic development in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region while preserving environmental integrity.