1- Department of Soil Science, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
2- Department of Water Sciences and Engineering, College of Agriculture, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran
2- Department of Water Sciences and Engineering, College of Agriculture, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran
Abstract: (495 Views)
Extended Abstract
Background: The construction of unprincipled dams and the increase in water exploitation for various uses, including agriculture, have threatened the rivers of the world. These constructions without planning lead to significant effects, such as reducing the total flow and affecting the seasonal changes of the rivers. These interventions, along with negative effects on hydrological and ecological services through ecosystems, increase the vulnerability of communities dependent on these services. Given this issue and management problems and solutions specific to a region, the current research aims to identify the driving force-pressure-situation-effect-response to improve the water rights status of the Plasjan River in the Zayandeh Roud Watershed. The average total volume of the annual flow, which is considered the environmental flow regime, is expressed as the water right or environmental water demand. In this regard, the water right of the river environment is the amount of water that flows or is released to maintain and manage the natural state of the river environment. Failure to protect the water rights of the river environment causes damage to all organisms and ecosystems, underground water resources, and plains.
Methods: First, the environmental water rights of the studied area were estimated using the Flow Duration Curve and the Montana method during a 20-year statistical period (2001-2021). The Montana method, the monthly and annual average of discharge, the long-term average of high and low-water months of the Pelasjan River were calculated for this purpose. In the Flow Duration Curve method, the minimum environmental flow was calculated based on the Q90 index. Then, by holding workshops with the participation of stakeholders, a tree of problems and objectives was drawn based on the reduction and improvement of environmental water rights. The group of stakeholders (30 people) included the leaders and members of the village councils, experts of the Department of Natural Resources and Watershed, Regional Water, Environment, Agriculture Jihad, and faculty members of Yazd and Isfahan industrial universities. Next, by determining the relationships between human activities and the environment, the problems and improvement of the water rights situation were described using the DPSIR conceptual model. This model is a chain of communication that starts with the driving forces (D) and determines the appropriate response (R) to reduce or prevent the driving forces, pressures (P), effects (I), and improvement of the situation (S) of the ecosystems. Finally, after identifying the relevant elements and considering their suggestions and preferences, the proposed factors and answers were prioritized by experts and stakeholders using the Friedman test.
Results: According to the Montana method, environmental water rights of the Pelasjan River should not be less than 0.15 in low-water months (June to February) and less than 0.94 and 1.38 m3s in high-water months (March to May). Based on the Flow Duration Curve method, the minimum water right in the Pelasjan River that must be observed is 1.38 m3s. Quantitative results of biological water rights indicate the alarm and the beginning of a crisis in the region. The results of the DPSIR model showed that climate change and drought were the most important driving forces in the Eskandari Watershed. In this regard, experts and stakeholders identified the weakness of water resources utilization laws and top-down management practices as the most important pressure factors in the region. The pressures are the most critical reasons for creating an imbalance between water supply and demand, which has led to encroachment on water rights of the stakeholders and the downstream basin from the stakeholders’ viewpoints. Stakeholders introduced the change of top-down to bottom-up governance as the appropriate response. Based on the opinions of experts, the situation of the region has appeared with priority issues, including the offence of the water rights of the rivers. This has resulted in encroachment on water rights of the stakeholders and the downstream basin, which is the most suitable answer for the created conditions, the development of allocation programs optimal for water consumption, and the regulation of water rights. It should be mentioned that the results based on the Friedman test show the significance of the studied elements at the 5% level.
Conclusion: The reduction of the Pelasjan River water rights has changed the landscape of the region and created many environmental problems for watershed residents and stakeholders. Therefore, these changes have led to many reactions from the stakeholders of the region, such as changing and transforming natural lands into low-yielding rainfed lands, cultivating crops with high water requirements, encroachment on water rights, excessive and unauthorized withdrawal of surface and underground water sources, etc. Since the responses presented in this research have a multidisciplinary nature and consider different issues, internal and external cooperation of all departments is necessary to achieve the goals of the research. The use of consensus and participation of stakeholders in implementation plans can guarantee the success of projects. Moreover, the novelty of the current research lies in investigating the relationships between human activities regarding environmental water rights of the Pelasjan River. Therefore, it can be concluded that the results of the current research can change the viewpoint of the relevant organizations and lead to the implementation of effective and more optimal executive measures to improve the situation of the studied area.
Background: The construction of unprincipled dams and the increase in water exploitation for various uses, including agriculture, have threatened the rivers of the world. These constructions without planning lead to significant effects, such as reducing the total flow and affecting the seasonal changes of the rivers. These interventions, along with negative effects on hydrological and ecological services through ecosystems, increase the vulnerability of communities dependent on these services. Given this issue and management problems and solutions specific to a region, the current research aims to identify the driving force-pressure-situation-effect-response to improve the water rights status of the Plasjan River in the Zayandeh Roud Watershed. The average total volume of the annual flow, which is considered the environmental flow regime, is expressed as the water right or environmental water demand. In this regard, the water right of the river environment is the amount of water that flows or is released to maintain and manage the natural state of the river environment. Failure to protect the water rights of the river environment causes damage to all organisms and ecosystems, underground water resources, and plains.
Methods: First, the environmental water rights of the studied area were estimated using the Flow Duration Curve and the Montana method during a 20-year statistical period (2001-2021). The Montana method, the monthly and annual average of discharge, the long-term average of high and low-water months of the Pelasjan River were calculated for this purpose. In the Flow Duration Curve method, the minimum environmental flow was calculated based on the Q90 index. Then, by holding workshops with the participation of stakeholders, a tree of problems and objectives was drawn based on the reduction and improvement of environmental water rights. The group of stakeholders (30 people) included the leaders and members of the village councils, experts of the Department of Natural Resources and Watershed, Regional Water, Environment, Agriculture Jihad, and faculty members of Yazd and Isfahan industrial universities. Next, by determining the relationships between human activities and the environment, the problems and improvement of the water rights situation were described using the DPSIR conceptual model. This model is a chain of communication that starts with the driving forces (D) and determines the appropriate response (R) to reduce or prevent the driving forces, pressures (P), effects (I), and improvement of the situation (S) of the ecosystems. Finally, after identifying the relevant elements and considering their suggestions and preferences, the proposed factors and answers were prioritized by experts and stakeholders using the Friedman test.
Results: According to the Montana method, environmental water rights of the Pelasjan River should not be less than 0.15 in low-water months (June to February) and less than 0.94 and 1.38 m3s in high-water months (March to May). Based on the Flow Duration Curve method, the minimum water right in the Pelasjan River that must be observed is 1.38 m3s. Quantitative results of biological water rights indicate the alarm and the beginning of a crisis in the region. The results of the DPSIR model showed that climate change and drought were the most important driving forces in the Eskandari Watershed. In this regard, experts and stakeholders identified the weakness of water resources utilization laws and top-down management practices as the most important pressure factors in the region. The pressures are the most critical reasons for creating an imbalance between water supply and demand, which has led to encroachment on water rights of the stakeholders and the downstream basin from the stakeholders’ viewpoints. Stakeholders introduced the change of top-down to bottom-up governance as the appropriate response. Based on the opinions of experts, the situation of the region has appeared with priority issues, including the offence of the water rights of the rivers. This has resulted in encroachment on water rights of the stakeholders and the downstream basin, which is the most suitable answer for the created conditions, the development of allocation programs optimal for water consumption, and the regulation of water rights. It should be mentioned that the results based on the Friedman test show the significance of the studied elements at the 5% level.
Conclusion: The reduction of the Pelasjan River water rights has changed the landscape of the region and created many environmental problems for watershed residents and stakeholders. Therefore, these changes have led to many reactions from the stakeholders of the region, such as changing and transforming natural lands into low-yielding rainfed lands, cultivating crops with high water requirements, encroachment on water rights, excessive and unauthorized withdrawal of surface and underground water sources, etc. Since the responses presented in this research have a multidisciplinary nature and consider different issues, internal and external cooperation of all departments is necessary to achieve the goals of the research. The use of consensus and participation of stakeholders in implementation plans can guarantee the success of projects. Moreover, the novelty of the current research lies in investigating the relationships between human activities regarding environmental water rights of the Pelasjan River. Therefore, it can be concluded that the results of the current research can change the viewpoint of the relevant organizations and lead to the implementation of effective and more optimal executive measures to improve the situation of the studied area.
Keywords: Agricultural development, Eskandari Watershed, Regulation of water rights, Stakeholders, Tree of problems and objectives
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
ساير موضوعات وابسته به مديريت حوزه آبخيز
Received: 2024/06/15 | Accepted: 2025/08/9
Received: 2024/06/15 | Accepted: 2025/08/9
Send email to the article author
| Rights and permissions | |
 |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |
