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Impacts of Multi-year Droughts and Upstream Human-Induced Activities on the Development of a Semi-arid Transboundary Basin

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  • Furat A. M. Al-Faraj

    (The University of Salford)

  • Dimitris Tigkas

    (National Technical University of Athens)

Abstract

This paper aims at investigating the combined impacts of basin-wide multi-year droughts and upstream human-induced activities on current and future potential development of a semi-arid transboundary basin. The approach is based on the drought analysis through three widely used drought indices (Standardised Drought Index- SPI, Reconnaissance Drought Index - RDI and Streamflow Drought Index- SDI), coupled with the current and future conceivable man-made changes upstream, taking also into account the effects of climate change. As a representative case, the Diyala river basin, shared between Iraq and Iran, is selected. A close examination of the climate trends in the study area exhibits that the basin points to be drier, with a decreasein precipitation and rise in the rates of temperature and potential evapotranspiration. The comparison between RDI and SDI indicates the cumulative drought effects on runoff during recent multi-year droughts episodes (1999–2001 and 2008–2009), which crippled the socio-economic activities and influenced the environmental system. Further, the results reveal that the combined impacts of multi-year droughts at basin scale and the river damming, water abstraction and water diversion works upstream have significant effects on water availability, especially at the middle and lower parts of the basin, with impacts on the security of the irrigated agriculture and public water supply, contributing to displacement and tribal conflicts. The projected climate change conditions along with the water withdrawal schemes upstream, which will put into operation in the foreseeable future, are expected to increase the vulnerability of water security in the portion of the basin that lies in the downstream country.

Suggested Citation

  • Furat A. M. Al-Faraj & Dimitris Tigkas, 2016. "Impacts of Multi-year Droughts and Upstream Human-Induced Activities on the Development of a Semi-arid Transboundary Basin," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 30(14), pages 5131-5143, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:waterr:v:30:y:2016:i:14:d:10.1007_s11269-016-1473-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s11269-016-1473-9
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    1. G. Tsakiris & I. Nalbantis & H. Vangelis & B. Verbeiren & M. Huysmans & B. Tychon & I. Jacquemin & F. Canters & S. Vanderhaegen & G. Engelen & L. Poelmans & P. Becker & O. Batelaan, 2013. "A System-based Paradigm of Drought Analysis for Operational Management," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 27(15), pages 5281-5297, December.
    2. Majid Kazemzadeh & Arash Malekian, 2016. "Spatial characteristics and temporal trends of meteorological and hydrological droughts in northwestern Iran," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 80(1), pages 191-210, January.
    3. Furat A.M. Al-Faraj & Miklas Scholz, 2015. "Impact of upstream anthropogenic river regulation on downstream water availability in transboundary river watersheds," International Journal of Water Resources Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(1), pages 28-49, March.
    4. Hossein Tabari & Jaefar Nikbakht & P. Hosseinzadeh Talaee, 2013. "Hydrological Drought Assessment in Northwestern Iran Based on Streamflow Drought Index (SDI)," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 27(1), pages 137-151, January.
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    6. Mohammad Asadi Zarch & Hossein Malekinezhad & Mohammad Mobin & Mohammad Dastorani & Mohammad Kousari, 2011. "Drought Monitoring by Reconnaissance Drought Index (RDI) in Iran," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 25(13), pages 3485-3504, October.
    7. Alireza Sharifi & Yagob Dinpashoh, 2014. "Sensitivity Analysis of the Penman-Monteith reference Crop Evapotranspiration to Climatic Variables in Iran," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 28(15), pages 5465-5476, December.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Neda Khanmohammadi & Hossein Rezaie & Javad Behmanesh, 2022. "Investigation of Drought Trend on the Basis of the Best Obtained Drought Index," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 36(4), pages 1355-1375, March.
    3. Dimitris Tigkas & Harris Vangelis & George Tsakiris, 2020. "Implementing Crop Evapotranspiration in RDI for Farm-Level Drought Evaluation and Adaptation under Climate Change Conditions," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 34(14), pages 4329-4343, November.
    4. Sarah Acquah & Frank A. Ward, 2017. "Optimizing Adjustments to Transboundary Water Sharing Plans: A Multi-Basin Approach," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 31(15), pages 5019-5042, December.

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