Evaluation of Resources Sustainability in Water-Food-Energy Nexus Approach Using Development and Analysis of Management Scenarios with Respect to Virtual Water Content; Case Study: Lenjanat Sub-basin

Water resources management needs true understanding of food and energy management with focus on Agriculture Sector. Water-Energy-Food Framework in the basis of supply and exploitation of resources is trying to manage and operate different sources of energy, water and food together with respect to scenario analysis. In addition to sustainability concepts, environmental costs such as Co2 emission is another important factor that should be mentioned. GHG emissions generally and CO2 emission in particular that comes from the exploitation of fossil fuels and the impact that they have on ecosystem. In this research 6 Indicators due to use of solar PV farms and eight scenarios were established in combination and singular manner that focuses on sustainability and utilization of the resources. The scenarios have been implemented after simulating water and food in the WEAP software, rainfall-runoff model and calibration in Lenjanat Sub-basin as case study. Eight scenarios are: 1) Trend scenario 2) Crop pattern scenarios 3) Increasing irrigation efficiency 4) implementation of solar PV farms and three combination of these scenarios in addition to increasing pump efficiency. Exploitation of surface and groundwater resources and specifically GW resources and scenario 6 is the first rank selected among all other scenarios. In Addition, scenarios 1 that is named trend scenario is at the last scenarios selected. Water is the most precious factor in food production. In conclusion, application of scenario that combination of the scenarios 3and4 is the selected strategy based on analysis that have been made.