FIRM WATER AND SHORTAGE INDEX IN WATER SYSTEMS PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS

The annual firm water yield and distribution shortage index represent the important systems analysis issues common for studies related to performance analysis and reservoirs’ control within large-scale water resources systems. Simulation and mixed optimization/simulation are typical techniques used in such analyses, whilst computed surface reservoirs’ storages are always ‘measured’ with respect to some prespecified targets, preferences or simply ‘wishes’. Systems approach helps to select and apply appropriate methods to define tolerant deviations from the targets and to recognize favorable and not-favorable system statuses. In this way it enables computing certain performance indices which describe system’s, and particularly reservoirs’, performance in long-term sense. As a consequence, control strategies applied in simulation or other models may be evaluated in more sophisticated manner and decisions can be significantly rationalized and judged.