Ahmadzadeh et al. (2026) Development of a water resource sustainability index based on actual water consumption and environmental constraints applied to Aji Chai River Basin, Iran

Identification

• Journal: The Science of The Total Environment
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-09-08
• Authors: Hojat Ahmadzadeh, Abolfazl Majnooni-Heris, Ahmad Fakheri Fard, Farshad Fathian, Kabir Rasouli
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2026.182295

Research Groups

• Department of Water Engineering, University of Tabriz, Iran
• Department of Water Science & Engineering, Vali-e-Asr University of Rafsanjan, Iran
• Division of Atmospheric Sciences, Desert Research Institute (DRI), Reno, NV, USA

Short Summary

This study develops a novel water resources sustainability index based on actual water consumption and environmental flow requirements in the Aji Chai Watershed, Iran. The results show that reducing irrigated areas is essential to prevent aquifer depletion and sustain the inflows and water rights of Lake Urmia.

Objective

• Investigate the feasibility of developing a water resource sustainability index based on actual water consumption and environmental constraints applied to the Aji Chai River Basin, Iran.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Watershed scale (Aji Chai Watershed)
• Temporal Scale: Long-term (1987-2021)

Methodology and Data

• Models used: SWAT model
• Data sources: Satellite data, observation data, reanalysis data

Main Results

• The sustainability index was calculated as 0.68, which exceeds the critical threshold of 0.40.
• Reducing irrigated areas is essential to prevent aquifer depletion in the study area.
• Proposed reductions would sustain the inflows and water rights of Lake Urmia.

Contributions

• This study contributes to the development of a novel water resources sustainability index that integrates environmental flows, enabling basin-scale estimates of withdrawal reductions needed to achieve sustainable water use.
• The results provide valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders to manage water resources sustainably in the Aji Chai Watershed.

Funding

• This research was funded by the University of Tabriz (Grant No. 980111) and the Desert Research Institute (DRI).

Citation

@article{Ahmadzadeh2026Development,
  author = {Ahmadzadeh, Hojat and Majnooni-Heris, Abolfazl and Fard, Ahmad Fakheri and Fathian, Farshad and Rasouli, Kabir},
  title = {Development of a water resource sustainability index based on actual water consumption and environmental constraints applied to Aji Chai River Basin, Iran},
  journal = {The Science of The Total Environment},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.scitotenv.2026.182295},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2026.182295}
}