To address the conflicting water demands by life

production

and ecology in arid and desert regions

this study focuses on three major tributaries (the Aksu

Hotan

and Yarkand Rivers) of the Tarim River and its mainstream

where significant issues have emerged－excessive evaporation and seepage losses over the entire basin

and imbalanced water distribution between the tributaries and the mainstream. We develop simulation and optimization models for water resource allocation through coupling with the layout and adjustment of major water conservancy projects

and solve them for the years of 2018

2025

and 2035. To address the issues above

engineering measures are explored for reduction and control of the evaporation and seepage losses in river channels and plain reservoirs. Results show that water resource allocation aimed at replacing plain reservoirs with mountain reservoirs effectively reduces evaporation and leakage losses

with an increase in water supply potential of 350 million m3 and 496 million m3 and an irrigation area increase of 31.3 thousand ha and 45.2 thousand ha in years of 2025 and 2035

respectively. This greatly alleviates the conflicts between water uses from the source streams and main stream

and helps promote regional economic and social development and implement the national food security strategy.