Development of a Multi-objective Optimization Model under Uncertainty for Water and Energy nexus Management in the Sefidroud Irrigation and Drainage Network

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Water Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

2 Department of Water Engineering, College of Agriculture, University of Guilan, Rasht, Guilan.

Abstract

 
This study investigates the optimal management of water and energy resources in the Sefidroud irrigation and drainage network of Guilan province. Given the critical role of these resources in agriculture, along with water scarcity and increasing food demands, the need for an integrated approach is becoming more evident. A multi-objective optimization model under uncertainty was developed for this study, aiming to minimize agricultural water shortages and maximize hydropower generation from the Sefidroud reservoir dam. The developed model was solved using the NSGA-II algorithm, and the irrigation requirements for rice and tea were calculated based on the soil-water balance method. The results indicate that water shortages vary across different confidence levels, with the central irrigation zone experiencing the highest deficit. Additionally, rice cultivation, especially in June and July, faces more significant water shortages, whereas tea cultivation does not encounter major water scarcity issues. This research highlights the necessity of optimal resource management and precise planning to prevent water shortages during critical months. The findings have the potential to inform effective decision-making aimed at sustainable agricultural development.

Keywords

Main Subjects

EXTENDED ABSTRACT

 

Introduction:

Water and energy are important and crucial resources for agricultural production. Agriculture produces essential food and raw materials for other sectors such as livelihoods, manufacturing, and production services, supporting human survival and economic development. The development of agricultural and energy sectors may be constrained by limited access to water, especially in arid and semi-arid regions, leading to an expected fierce competition between food and energy in water consumption.

Objective:

Various uncertainties exist in determining the different input parameters of the water and energy management model. These uncertainties, inherent in the overall system, are inevitable and complicate the decision-making process. The aim of this study is to propose a multi-objective planning approach for the Water and Energy  nexus system under uncertainty conditions with agricultural and environmental objectives. This study focuses on the Sefidroud irrigation and drainage network located in northern Iran.

Materials and methods:

In this study, the effective precipitation was first estimated to determine the net irrigation water requirements for rice and tea crops in the study area. Subsequently, the interactions between water and energy were formulated, and their optimal allocation in the agricultural and energy sectors was achieved using the NSGA-II metaheuristic algorithm. After identifying the parameters with uncertainties in the developed model, their values were quantitatively determined using fuzzy set theory. Finally, the optimization results for meeting water needs and electricity production under different confidence levels of the model constraints were examined.

Results and discussion:

By employing multi-objective optimization between the two goals of maximizing energy production and minimizing agricultural water shortages, dam managers and planners can manage the water released from the dam for future planning in a way that simultaneously maximizes hydropower generation while meeting downstream needs. Evaluating the increase and decrease of α-cut at both upper bound and lower bound of the fuzzy approach revealed that at the upper bound of the fuzzy approach, compared to the lower bound, the amount of agricultural water shortage in the three development zones was lower with increasing α-cuts. Conversely, at the upper bound, the amount of water shortage increased with increasing α-cuts, while the opposite occurred at the lower bound. This is because, due to the relationship of the triangular method in fuzzifying uncertain parameters, the difference between the upper and lower bounds decreases with increasing α-cuts. Evaluating the results of examining the contribution of resources to meeting the region's water demands showed that the share of water allocated through water transfer channels for meeting the water needs of rice was greater than other surface sources. The Foumanat region, due to the reduced capacity of the Fouman water transfer tunnel, relied more on river sources than other regions.

Conclusion:

This study shows that the optimal allocation of water is influenced by varying levels of confidence, and water scarcity differs across regions, especially in the central irrigation area. As the confidence level increases, water scarcity changes, decreasing at lower levels and increasing at higher levels. Water from the Sefidroud Dam is the primary source of water supply in the irrigation areas of Guilan. To optimally manage water resources, planning based on water needs and energy production during critical months is recommended to prevent water scarcity and enhance agricultural productivity.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, Mahshid Ahmadipour Dogouri and Somaye Janatrostami; methodology, Somaye Janatrostami and ; Mahshid Ahmadipour Dogouri software, Mahshid Ahmadipour Dogouri, Nader Pirmoradian and Afshin Ashrafzadeh; validation, Somaye Janatrostami; formal analysis and investigation, Mahshid Ahmadipour Dogouri, Somaye Janatrostami; resources, Mahshid Ahmadipour Dogouri; data curation, Mahshid Ahmadipour Dogouri, Nader Pirmoradian and Afshin Ashrafzadeh; writing—original draft preparation, Mahshid Ahmadipour Dogouri; writing—review and editing, Somaye Janatrostami; visualization, Somaye Janatrostami; supervision, Somaye Janatrostami; project administration, Somaye Janatrostami.

 

 

Data Availability Statement

Data available on request from the authors.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all participants of the present study.

Ethical considerations

The authors avoided data fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, and misconduct.

Conflict of interest

The author declares no conflict of interest.

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Iranian Journal of Soil and Water Research
Volume 55, Issue 12
March 2025
Pages 2289-2311

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