Dynamic Programming Based Operation of Reservoirs: Applicability and Limits

Dynamic programming is a method of solving multi-stage problems in which decisions at one stage become the conditions governing the succeeding stages. It can be applied to the management of water reservoirs, allowing them to be operated more efficiently. Originally published in 2007, this is one of the few books dedicated solely to dynamic programming techniques used in reservoir management. It presents the applicability of these techniques and their limits on the operational analysis of reservoir systems. The dynamic programming models presented in this book have been applied to reservoir systems all over the world, helping the reader to appreciate the applicability and limits of these models. The book also includes a model for the operation of a reservoir during an emergency situation. This volume will be a valuable reference to researchers in hydrology, water resources and engineering, as well as professionals in reservoir management.

K. D. W. Nandalal is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. His research interests include water resources systems analysis and reservoir water quality modelling.

Janos J. Bogardi is Director of the United Nations University Institute for Environmental and Human Security. He was co-editor of Risk, Reliability, Uncertainty, and Robustness of Water Resource Systems (Cambridge University Press 2002).