Comparison of Water Reduction and Irrigation Efficiency Improvement Policies: Case Study of Khorasan Razavi Province

In order to compare the effect of the policy of reducing water extraction from groundwater resources with the policy of increasing irrigation efficiency, on the deficit of groundwater reservoirs, production, net imports, net social benefits and farmers' income in Khorasan Razavi province, five cities including Mashhad, Sabzevar, Neyshabur, Torbat-e Jam and Torbat-e Heydarieh were selected and the effects of these policies were studied using a positive mathematical programming model (PMP_GME).The study of the effect of reducing water extraction showed that although this policy can balance the water extraction and reduce energy consumption by up to 25%, it reduces the production of important crops such as wheat and increases social costs, in particular, reducing farm incomes and increasing imports. So that it will increase social costs by 20-43 percent, and the cost of each cubic meter of saved water will be between 4540 and 6360 Rials. Replacing new systems instead of old at the potential level without increasing the area under cultivation, will reduce the tank's deficit by 94%. Although the closure of unauthorized wells is a legal requirement, its implementation cannot create balance in the water extraction. In order to achieve the desired result, it is necessary to close the unauthorized wells and reduce water extraction permanently from the wells that have a butterfly. Also by providing bank loans and advisory services, farmers helped to increase irrigation efficiency.