Support for Making Strategic Decisions on the Water Supply of the Lower Volga River Based on the Pareto Frontier Visualization

Abstract

This paper describes the application of visualization of the optimal Pareto frontier in supporting decision making within the framework of a technique for integrated assessment of environmental problems. Integrated assessment is used in supporting the choice of strategic decisions on Volga River water management. The main attention is given to the problems of environmental conservation and economic development of the Volga–Akhtuba floodplain. The technique is outlined, the decision problem is formulated, and an integrated mathematical model is described, which makes it possible to estimate the reliability of meeting mutually contradictory requirements for river-water management. It is shown that application of the Pareto frontier visualization is an effective tool for supporting decisions on choosing a feasible long-term strategic goal for controlling the Volga–Kama Reservoir cascade.