@inproceedings{al-amin_berglund_mahinthakumar_2016, title={Coupling agent-based and groundwater modeling to explore demand management strategies for shared resources}, DOI={10.1061/9780784479858.016}, abstractNote={Municipal water demands in growing population centers in the arid southwest U.S. are typically met through increased groundwater withdrawals. Hydro-climatic uncertainties attributed to climate change and land use conversions may also alter demands and impact the replenishment of groundwater supply. Groundwater aquifers are not necessarily confined within municipal and management boundaries, and multiple diverse agencies may manage a shared resource in a decentralized approach, based on individual concerns and resources. The interactions among water managers, consumers, and the environment influence the performance of local management strategies and regional groundwater resources. This research couples an agent-based modeling (ABM) framework and a groundwater model to analyze the effects of different management approaches on shared groundwater resources. The ABM captures the dynamic interactions between household-level consumers and policy makers to simulate water demands under climate change and population growth uncertainties. The groundwater model is used to analyze the relative effects of management approaches on reducing demands and replenishing groundwater resources. The framework is applied for municipalities located in the Verde River Basin, Arizona that withdraw groundwater from the Verde Formation-Basin Fill-Carbonate aquifer system. Insights gained through this simulation study can be used to guide groundwater policy-making under changing hydro-climatic scenarios for a long-term planning horizon.}, booktitle={World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2016: Watershed Management, Irrigation and Drainage, and Water Resources Planning and Management}, author={Al-Amin, S. and Berglund, E. Z. and Mahinthakumar, K.}, year={2016}, pages={141–150} }
 @inproceedings{al-amine_2016, title={Understanding the role of cost, impact, and equity in point and non-point source nutrient reductions for basin scale stream water quality improvement}, DOI={10.1061/9780784479841.022}, abstractNote={Following the several cases of impairments and rapid degradations in water quality in late nineteen century in the US, The environmental agencies, including U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) were directed to set criteria for nutrients in rivers, lakes, and estuaries. As part of the Clean Water Action Plan, the USEPA set different criteria for point and non-point source nutrient loading reductions to improve stream water quality. While the nutrient reduction plans mandated different nutrient reduction goals for point and non-point sources, they were also associated with cost and equity issues for discharges who share a common stream but have different impacts based on the watershed characteristics. This study took Neuse Nutrient Sensitive Waters Management Strategy adopted by North Carolina Environmental Management Commission as an analytical example, to analyze the historical nutrient reduction practices by designated point and agricultural non-point sources to understand the role of impacts and equities in nutrient reduction performances in basin scale. Cost functions were developed for points and non-point sources based on literatures and minimum cost solutions were developed to meet nutrient reduction goals under different equity assumptions. The study provides useful information for understanding the complex response of individual polluters in managing a shared stream resource. The results can be useful for developing regulations for efficient water quality trading markets and understanding potentials and barriers of point and non-point source dischargers trading under regulations in long term planning horizon.}, booktitle={World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2016: Professional Development, Innovative Technology, International Perspectives, and History and Heritage}, author={Al-Amine, S.}, year={2016}, pages={193–202} }