Network structure, complexity, and adaptation in water resource systems

Abstract

Infrastructure systems are often complex. Many have both natural and built components. For such systems, including water resource networks, resilience is a common policy goal. In the formalised study of complex systems, the structure and function of networks can contribute directly to system resilience. One branch of complex systems studies, network science, describes how connectivity between individual components can explain some system-wide properties of growth and reliability. Water resource systems analysis has only begun to apply techniques from network theory and complexity science to assess adaptability and resilience. We present an analysis of connectivity in a network model of California's water infrastructure system using several network science techniques. Results indicate that nodes in California's water system are clustered but without scale-free properties. The network originates from a mixture of top-down (centralised) and bottom-up (dispersed interactions of parties) planning. This structure provides managers greater flexibility to use local and distant water sources. We use the analysis to illustrate how several disciplinary notions of resilience apply to civil infrastructure planning. We also explore how adaptability, not just complexity, influences resilience in planning. Creating systems that can respond to future changes must be an important policy goal in planning civil infrastructure.

Keywords:

• complexity
• power law distributions
• network theory
• sustainability
• adaptation
• water distribution system

Additional information

Funding

Primary support for the research came through the Responding to Rapid Environmental Change Integrative Graduate Research and Education Traineeship (REACH IGERT) at UC Davis [NSF-DGE #0801430].