Evaluation of Water Resources in Zayandeh Rood Basin Using Integrated Surface and Groundwater Footprint Indices

Declining the quality and quantity of water resources in recent years has threatened food security, health and the development of communities, especially in arid and semi-arid areas. The purpose of this study is to investigate the quantitative and qualitative conditions of surface and groundwater resources in the drinking and irrigation sections of Zayandeh Rood basin that faces political and social sensitivities in addition to the dangers of the arid regions of the Central Plateau of Iran. In this paper, using the integrated groundwater footprint (iGF) and for the first time integrated surface water footprint (iSF) indices as well as applying the Schoeller and Wilcox standards for checking quality of drinking and agricultural water, respectively, water resources status has been evaluated in 2006 and 2016. The average of integrated groundwater management index in Zayandehrud basin for drinking and irrigation purposes in 2006 is equal to 8.9 and 1.3, respectively and these values have decreased to 7.3 and 1.1 in 2016. Furthermore, in 2006 the average of integrated index of surface water footprint for whole basin in drinking and irrigation water were obtained 3.8 and 2.4, respectively and these values have improved to 3.3 and 2 in 2016. However, the results of these two years show a relative improvement in water resources in the Zayandeh Rood Basin, but they are far from acceptable conditions, especially in the drinking water sector, which requires serious attention of decision makers for developing of dynamic plans for sustainable development of this basin.