Determining the most appropriate management strategies for balancing the Abhar plain aquifer using the SWOT analytical model

Lack of rainfall, reckless grow of planting the agricultural products, uncontrolled abstraction of groundwater resources and lack of proper plans to reduce the adverse effects of the water crisis, has caused a sharp decline in the country's aquifers. The main objective of this study is to strategic management of water resources to determine the most appropriate management strategies for aquifer balancing.

Determining the most appropriate management strategies for balancing the Abhar plain aquifer has been done using the SWOT strategy formulation method. The most important internal and external factors (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) affecting water resources based on statistics and information collected, identified and after completing the questionnaire and survey, using group decision-making, the best strategy and applicable management approaches were explained.

The results of this study indicate that the weakness outweighs strengths as well as threats over opportunities. In other words, from the perspective of the experts present at the brainstorming session, the conditions of Abhar plain are in the quarter of weaknesses-threats (WT) with a defensive strategy that indicates the critical condition of Abhar plain aquifer in terms of the status of available water resources. Therefore, considering the current critical conditions of Abhar plain, the importance of optimal management, prevention of uncontrolled abstraction of groundwater resources, considering the most important weaknesses and main threats in this plain and the results of SWOT analytical model, the most appropriate solutions achieving the goal of balancing the groundwater aquifer of Abhar plain, are consist of focusing on land integration and preventing their fragmentation through integrated pressurized irrigation systems, changing the type of cultivation, irrigation method, benefiting from suitable climatic conditions for species cultivation low water demand, suitable geographical location in order to develop low water demand industries and equip water wells with smart meters to control and manage consumption. On the other hand implement watershed management and artificial recharge measures to prevent floods and loss of water resources and surface runoff harvesting was determined to control, manage and optimally use surface water resources and reduce abstraction from groundwater aquifers.

Using the capacity of opportunities and strengths ahead, Abhar plain aquifer strategy can be upgraded to ST strategy as well as WO and will be controlled the decreasing trend of Abhar plain aquifer volume.