Determine the most appropriate strategy for groundwater management in arid and semi-arid regions, Abhar Plain, Iran
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Abstract: Due to growing demand and reduction of water resources and increasing pollution of water, driven by dramatic population and economic growth, arid and semi-arid land’s imminent water problems are nowadays aggravating. This study aims to determine the most appropriate management strategies for balancing the Abhar plain aquifer using the SWOT coupled with AHP technique. The results indicate that weaknesses prevail over strengths as well as threats over opportunities. The placement in the quarter of weaknesses-threats with a defensive strategy indicates the critical condition of the Abhar plain aquifer. The most appropriate solutions to achieve the goal of balancing the groundwater were prioritized by AHP method. According to results, improper management of water consumption with a weight of 72.5% is the most destructive factor in reducing groundwater resources. Among the types of consumption, the effect of an agricultural factor carries a weight of 74.2%. The exploitation of illegal wells, overdraft of exploitation license provisions of wells, reduction of precipitation and traditional irrigation methods were selected as the destructive factors causing the deteriration of groundwater resources. Also, with filling the illegal wells, changing the type of cultivation and greenhouse crops cultivation, installing a smart water meter, observance the provisions of the water exploitation license, implementing integrated pressurized irrigation systems, benefiting from suitable climatic conditions and geographical location for cultivating and developing the low-water use species and industries and on the other hand, with implementing artificial recharge to control the surface water resources and reduce abstraction from groundwater aquifers, the adverse trend of Abhar Plain groundwater resources can be controlled.
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Key words:
- Groundwater balancing /
- Model /
- SWOT /
- AHP /
- Abhar Plain aquifer
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Table 1. The most important problems of groundwater resources destruction and imbalance in the Abhar Plain aquifer
Main criteria Sub-criteria Alternatives Climate change Decrease of precipitation - Increase of temperature - Changes in the precipitation pattern - Improper management of water consumption Agriculture Increase of cultivation area Drilling and exploitation of illegal wells Overdraft of exploitation license provisions for agricultural water wells Implementation of traditional irrigation methods Improper cultivation pattern Low price of water in the agricultural sector Lack of awareness and problems of agricultural promotion Industry Non-industrial consumption of water in the shadow of industry (change the type of unauthorized consumption) Overdraft of exploitation license provisions for industrial water wells Development of high water-consuming mines Establishment of high water-consuming industries that do not comply with the water capacity of the region Low price of water in the industry sector No recycle of industrial effluents in water circulation Drinking and sanitation Water consumption in agriculture and green space under the shadow of drinking and sanitation water Water consumption in the industrial sector under the shadow of drinking and sanitation water Water and sewage transmission network wear Uniformity of drinking water distribution network with green space Low price of water in the drinking and sanitation sector Cultural and promotional problems and lack of attention to proper water consumption and waste of household water Table 2. The best ways to protect groundwater resources and balance in the Abhar Plain aquifer
Main criteria Sub-criteria Irrigation method Flood or surface irrigation method Drip irrigation method Subcortical irrigation method Injectable irrigation method Pressurized irrigation method Type of cultivation Greenhouse crops cultivation Plastic cultivation Free (outdoors) cultivation Pattern of cultivation Almond and walnut trees Apricot, pear, peach, cherry trees Low-water demand cereals (wheat and barley) High-water demand cereals and fodder (corn, alfalfa, clover) Oil seeds (sunflower, rapeseed) Vegetable cultivation Consumption management Installation of the smart water meter Filling the illegal wells Observance of the provisions of the water exploitation license Blackout of water wells Reformation and insulation of irrigation system and water transfer Increasing the stairs rate of water price Water pricing in different sections Reducing the development of water-intensive industries Reducing the development of the production of polymer and fiberglass sanitary pipes and tubes Reducing the development of the steel industry Reducing the development of the petrochemical and chemical industry Reducing the development of the textile industry Reducing the development of the electronic and technology industry Reducing the development of the food industry Reducing the development of wood production industries Reducing the development of water-intensive mines Reducing the development of sand and gravel mines Reducing the development of building stone mines Reducing the development of copper mines Reducing the development of industrial stone mines Reducing the non-industrial consumption Reducing industrial water consumption in the non-industrial sector Strengthen water recycling in the industry Separation of industrial water and drinking water Reducing evaporation from recirculation ponds Use of recycled water for irrigation of green spaces Drinking and sanitation and green space water consumption Separation of drinking water and sanitation pipelines Construction of the station’s water card pump in different parts of the city Distribution of gallons of drinking water throughout the city Gradual increase in water prices for the drinking and sanitation sector Separation of green space water from drinking water Table 3. The fundamental scale of values representing the intensities of judgments between two groundwater management criteria
Intensity of importance Definition Description 1, 1/1 Equal importance Two criteria are of equal importance 2, 1/2 Weak importance 3, 1/3 Moderate importance Moderate importance of one criterion over the other 4, 1/4 Moderate plus importance 5, 1/5 Strong importance Strong importance of one criterion over the other 6, 1/6 Strong plus importance 7, 1/7 Very strong importance Very strong importance of one criterion over the other, evidence based 8, 1/8 More, more strong importance 9, 1/9 Extreme importance Unquestionable or demonstrated support of the importance of one criterion over the other Notes: From Saaty and Vargas (2006). Table 4. Random index for matrix (Reproduced from Saaty, 1994)
Order of matrix 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Random index (RI) 0 0 0.52 0.89 1.11 1.25 1.35 1.40 1.45 1.49 Table 5. Analysis of internal factors (Strengths)
No Strengths Relative importance Rank Final value 1 Participation of exploiters in groundwater management (management, protection, utilization) 0.120 3 0.359 2 Promoting the public awareness of proper water use to reduce water consumption 0.115 3 0.346 3 Use of mineral potentials instead of water-loving agriculture 0.081 1 0.081 4 Suitable climatic conditions for the cultivation of low-water demand species 0.123 3 0.368 5 Participation and cooperation of the people with the relevant authorities 0.105 2 0.210 6 Cohesion and solidarity between different organizations and social communities 0.114 3 0.342 7 Replacement of consumption water from groundwater resources with runoff extraction 0.093 1 0.093 8 Suitable geographical location and connection with the three metropolises of Tehran, Tabriz, the Qazvin to develop low-water demand industries 0.145 4 0.580 9 Increase the quality of consumption water 0.104 2 0.207 Overall strength rating 2.590 Table 6. Analysis of internal factors (Weaknesses)
No Weaknesses Relative importance Rank Final value 1 Insufficient income, lack of productive employment and strong dependence of the rural economy on agricultural products and activities 0.113 4 0.450 2 Lack of sufficient information and knowledge among farmers and exploiters and their old age 0.102 3 0.305 3 Change of hydraulic gradient and influx of saline water to fresh water 0.064 1 0.064 4 Increased salinity in soil resources 0.065 1 0.065 5 Lack of attention to the coherent organizational structure in water resources management 0.098 3 0.294 6 Existence of traditional irrigation systems, low irrigation efficiency, productivity of production factors (water and soil) and performance at the level and high production costs 0.126 4 0.504 7 Lack of intellectual space to raise awareness about water crisis issue 0.093 2 0.186 8 Over-exploitation of permitted wells 0.118 4 0.470 9 The exploitation of illegal wells 0.124 4 0.494 10 Lack of construction and completion of the wastewater treatment plant to benefit from treated water in agriculture, industry and green space 0.099 3 0.297 Overall weaknesses rating 3.130 Table 7. Analysis of external factors (Opportunities)
No Opportunities Relative importance Rank Final value 1 Ability to provide information to strengthen culture in groundwater reclamation and balancing 0.093 1 0.093 2 Possibility of implementing the Danab Comprehensive Plan (National Student Water Rescue Plan) from which the concepts of quantity and quality of water, virtual water, intrinsic and economic value of water could be raised 0.087 1 0.087 3 Possibility to increase the value of agricultural products by improving the quality and proper processing 0.102 2 0.204 4 Participation of clerics and involving them to promote knowledge related to water resources 0.088 1 0.088 5 Equipping water wells with smart water meters to control consumption 0.111 4 0.443 6 Watershed management and aquifer artificial recharge measures to prevent floods and loss of water resources and surface runoff extraction 0.118 4 0.472 7 Establishment of various cooperatives to create local markets for buying and selling water 0.091 1 0.091 8 Optimize the distribution network to reduce water loss 0.093 1 0.093 9 Land consolidation and prevention of land fragmentation through integrated pressurized irrigation systems 0.112 4 0.447 10 Amend and facilitate upstream laws to change the type of agricultural water consumption to other uses 0.105 3 0.316 Overall rating of opportunities 2.330 Table 8. Analysis of external factors (Threats)
No Threats Relative importance Rank Final value 1 Occurrence of migration phenomenon and increase of population and exploitation in the region 0.061 1 0.061 2 Occurrence of drought and climate change (scarcity and improper distribution of temporal and spatial precipitation) 0.106 4 0.425 3 Insufficient funds and facilities 0.100 3 0.299 4 Lack of proper cultivation pattern 0.093 3 0.279 5 Lack of active and legal supervision from the Ministry of Energy and Agricultural Jihad in water consumption in the agricultural sector 0.093 3 0.279 6 Expansion of industries with high-water demand in the plain 0.040 3 0.283 7 Lack of stock market for agricultural products 0.078 2 0.156 8 Impossibility and cost of intra-basin and extra-basin water transfer projects to the region 0.088 2 0.175 9 Absence of beneficiaries in the top-down planning and decision-making sector 0.103 4 0.412 10 Uncertainty about the true value of water in agriculture, industry, drinking and health 0.107 4 0.429 11 Existence of upstream rules in issuing exploitation licenses and the existence of rent 0.077 2 0.153 Overall rating of threats 2.950 Table 9. The framework of pairwise comparison of the problem ofaquifer imbalance in Abhar Plain
Criteria Water consumption management Climate change Standardized weights /% Water consumption management 2.63448 72.5 Climate change 27.5 Inconsistency rate: 0.00 Table 10. The general framework of factors causing degradation and groundwater imbalance in the Abhar Plain aquifer
Criteria Standardized weights /% Criteria Standardized weights /% Drilling and exploitation of illegal wells 18.2 Change the precipitation pattern 3.2 Overdraft of exploitation license provisions for agricultural water wells 9.6 Increase in the temperature 2.7 Reduction of precipitation 9.3 Water consumption in agriculture and green space under the shadow of drinking and sanitation 2.6 Implementation of traditional irrigation methods 7.6 No use of industrial effluents in water circulation 2.5 Low price of water in the agriculture sector 6.1 Identity of drinking water distribution network with green space 2.2 Increase the area under cultivation 5.7 Development of the mines with high-water consumption 2.1 Improper cultivation pattern 4.8 Cultural and promotional problems and lack of attention to proper water consumption and waste of household water 2.0 Overdraft of exploitation license provisions in industrial water wells 3.8 Low price of water in the industry sector 1.9 Non-industrial consumption in the shadow of industry 3.6 Water consumption in the industrial sector under the shadow of drinking and sanitation 1.8 Establishment of water-intensive industries that do not comply with the region 3.5 Low price of water in the drinking and sanitation sector 1.8 Lack of awareness and problems of agricultural promotion 3.4 Water and sewage transmission network wear 1.6 Table 11. Prioritized solutions for strengthening groundwater resources and balance in the Abhar plain aquifer
Priority Sub-criteria 10.1 Filling the illegal wells 7.6 Greenhouse crops cultivation 7.6 Install the smart water meter 7.1 Observance of the provisions of the water exploitation license 6.3 Water pricing in different sections 6.0 Drip irrigation method 6.0 Pressurized irrigation method 4.9 Plastic cultivation method 4.0 Subcortical irrigation method 3.9 Low-water demand cereals (wheat and barley) cultivation 3.1 Injectable irrigation method 3.1 Free (outdoors) cultivation method 2.7 Almond and walnut trees cultivation 2.7 Control and reduction of industrial water consumption in the non-industrial sector 2.3 Flood or surface irrigation method 1.9 Apricot, pear, peach, and cherry trees cultivation 1.7 Reducing the development of sand and gravel mines 1.6 Strengthen water recycling in the industry 1.5 Gradual increase in water prices 1.3 Irrigation of green space with water from recycling 1.2 Construction of station card pumps in different parts of the city 1.2 Distribution of gallons of drinking water throughout the city 1.1 Oil seeds (sunflower, rapeseed) cultivation 1.1 Reducing the development of the steel industry 1.0 Vegetable cultivation 1.0 Reducing the copper mines 0.8 Reformation and insulation of irrigation system and water transfer 0.8 Separation of industrial water and drinking water 0.7 Blackout of water wells 0.7 Reducing the development of the textile industry 0.7 Separation of green space water from drinking water 0.6 Cereals and fodder (corn, alfalfa, clover) cultivation with high-water demand 0.5 Reducing the development of the petrochemical and chemical industry 0.5 Reducing the development of the food industry 0.5 Reducing the development of building stone mines 0.5 Reducing evaporation from recirculation ponds 0.4 Reducing the development of industrial stone mines 0.4 Separation of drinking water and sanitation pipelines 0.3 Reducing the development of the electronic and technology industry 0.2 Reducing the development of polymer and fiberglass sanitary pipes and the production of the tubes industry 0.2 Reducing the development of wood production industries 0.2 Gradual increase in the price of water for drinking and sanitation -
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