Water resources planning and management in Lake Urmia basin using the water accounting approach

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Faculty of Civil, Water and Environmental Engineering, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Department of Civil, Water and Environmental Engineering, Technical and Engineering Campus of Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.

3 Water Research Institute, Ministry of Energy, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

The objective of this study is to introduce and employ a water accounting method as a suitable approach for assessing the watershed's condition and providing and examining solutions to improve water resources management. The employed water accounting method in this research is the Water Accounting Plus framework (WA+), which is based on water balance parameters and distinguishes between green and blue water components. In this study, four accounting sheets were used: resource base, evapotranspiration, agricultural services, and water extraction. The evaluation results of these sheets indicated that the first sheet, representing the ratio of available water to exploitable water, was estimated at 0.59, and the second sheet, indicating the beneficial evapotranspiration, was estimated at 0.75. Furthermore, the third sheet, describing the amount of water utilized in irrigated lands, was calculated as 0.87, and the fourth sheet, representing the ratio of return flow to total water withdrawal, was found to be 0.51 for the watershed. Subsequently, remedial solutions for optimizing water resources utilization were defined, and based on three weighted criteria: technical, environmental, and socio-economic, prioritization was performed using the MEREC model and the COPRAS decision-making method. Based on the results, it was demonstrated that a combined approach of a 2% increase in agricultural efficiency and a 10% reduction in cultivated area for crops other than wheat is the best remedial solution, covering the mentioned criteria to an acceptable extent.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Water resources planning and management in Lake Urmia basin using the water accounting approach

EXTENDED ABSTRACT

Introduction

One of the greatest global issues and challenges in recent centuries is the shortage of suitable quality water for utilization. Therefore, developing an appropriate approach for optimal water resource management is essential. Various tools and approaches have been utilized for this purpose. One of these approaches is the innovative and efficient Water Accounting Plus (WA+) system. This method provides a simple and clear framework that, while maintaining integrity and considering influential factors within the basin, describes the current water resource conditions in river basins using satellite data. Moreover, with the help of this system, remedial solutions for optimal water resource utilization can be evaluated. Therefore, the WA+ system can assist water managers in making informed decisions and selecting suitable strategies for optimal water resource utilization at the basin scale.

Materials and Methods

In this study, based on ground data of water resources and consumption, agricultural lands, basin inflows and outflows, as well as satellite data on evapotranspiration, leaf area index, precipitation, and land use, the WA+ framework was implemented for water accounting in the current situation of the Mahabad study area located in the Lake Urmia basin. The four base resource sheets, namely water resources, evapotranspiration, agricultural services, and water extraction, were calculated, and the selected indicators for each sheet were determined. Subsequently, after presenting the solutions, the mentioned sheets and their indicators were estimated for each proposed solution. Then, the evaluation criteria for each solution, including technical criteria (derived from the selected indicators of each sheet in the WA+ system), economic-social, and environmental criteria, were calculated and weighted using the MEREC model. Finally, the solutions were prioritized using the COPRAS model.

Results and Discussion

In this study, the current situation of the four sheets, was examined, and the values of each indicator were obtained. The indicator value for the first sheet was calculated as 0.59, the indicator for the second sheet was 0.75, and the indicator values for the third and fourth sheets were calculated as 0.87 and 0.51, respectively. Subsequently, based on the results obtained and expert opinions in the field, solutions were proposed to address the region's conditions. These solutions were categorized into three main groups: diversification of crops, reduction of cultivated area, and improvement of efficiency. The results showed that the optimal solution involved simultaneously increasing the efficiency by 2% and reducing the yield of agricultural products other than wheat by 10%, with a relative importance value (Qi) of 100%.

Conclusion

In this study, using the WA+ system, an analysis of water resources and consumption was conducted in the current situation and under the implementation of remedial solutions. The results showed that among the proposed scenarios, the recommended solution involved simultaneously increasing the efficiency by 2% and reducing the yield of agricultural products other than wheat by 10%. A comparison with the current situation demonstrated that, despite a slight difference in the technical criterion, the environmental criterion of the proposed solution is approximately 35% better than the current conditions. Therefore, according to the results, from the analysis of sources and uses, it is found that the WA+ water accounting system can be very effective in the direction of the restoration of Urmia Lake, the optimal exploitation of water resources, both surface and underground, appropriate allocation and water productivity, and appropriate decision-making approaches. provide it to the trustees of the water sector.

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Iranian Journal of Soil and Water Research
Volume 55, Issue 7
September 2024
Pages 1217-1236

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