JWSS - Journal of Water and Soil Science

With regard to the crisis of water resources in the country, overdraft of groundwater resources has caused undesirable situation for most of the plains. On the one hand it is necessary for the stability of the resources are constantly using these resources, future generations need to be considered. In this regard, in this study make a cropping pattern with aims to develop a sustainable supply of groundwater resources in the Baghmalek plain has been considered. In this study, time series variables technique are used for predicting future values of variables. Also, the dynamic programming model, is used to determine the cultural pattern. Information needed for this research in two ways questionnaire and the use of statistics resource of agri-jahad and Khuzestan province`s water and power organization in 2013, has been collected. The results show that water input is considering as a limited production factor in the agricultural sector of the region. In addition, using of above pattern, will make fundamental changes in the region`s cropping pattern. The use of modern irrigation methods can increase the agricultural production capacity to double size. The main proposed of study is choosing the patterns that consider intergenerational sustainability about scares inputs such as water.

The issue of water scarcity or the limited availability of water resources, including concepts such as water stress, water shortage, and water crisis, is investigated in this study. Water stress refers to problems related to access to freshwater resources, particularly due to the excessive withdrawal of surface and groundwater. A water crisis describes a situation where the available clean and safe drinking water in a specific region is insufficient to meet demand. Factors like drought, reduced rainfall, and pollution can exacerbate water stress. Water shortage arises from reasons such as the inability to meet demand, economic competition over water quality and quantity, conflicts among users, the irreversible depletion of groundwater resources, and negative environmental impacts. This study provides an index to assess water stress for spatial analysis in the study area and analyzes relevant data by collecting information from various sources. This index utilizes both static and dynamic parameters to estimate drought and better depict water stress conditions. Static parameters include land use, slope, and soil type. Dynamic parameters include precipitation, temperature, and groundwater level. Kashan County was selected as the case study due to the continuous reduction in water resources. The results showed that in the water years 2005, 2014, 2020, and 2021, Kashan experienced the highest level of water stress, while in the water years 2002, 2004, 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2015, it experienced the lowest level of water stress.

Groundwater is a vital resource for meeting drinking, agricultural, and industrial needs in arid and semi-arid regions of Iran. In this study, quantitative and qualitative changes in groundwater in the Garmsar Plain were modeled using GIS, MODFLOW, and MT3DMS software during the period 2011-2013. Spatial and climatic data were comprehensively processed and prepared in the GIS environment, and groundwater flow was simulated using the MODFLOW model, and water quality changes were analyzed using the MT3DMS model. After validation with field data from 2012 to 2013, the model showed acceptable accuracy with statistical indicators of mean absolute error (MAE) in the range of 0.4 to 0.5 meters and root mean square error (RMSE) between 0.5 and 0.6 meters. The modeling results showed that a 15% increase in water withdrawal led to a decrease in the water table of up to 8 meters, a constant withdrawal led to a decrease of 7 meters, and a 15% decrease in withdrawal led to a decrease of 5 meters in the water table. From a quality perspective, the decrease in withdrawal improved the quality of irrigation water but increased the concentration of some pollutants, which requires the development of effective management strategies to protect groundwater resources. The findings of this study illustrate the importance of sustainable exploitation and smart management of groundwater resources in the Garmsar Plain.