Application of Stochastic Goal Programming in Water Resources Use Management: A Case Study of Firozabad Plain

One of the important economic problems in arid and semi-arid regions is insufficient water for agricultural purposes as it is evident for other purposes. Accordingly, sustainable management of water resources becomes an important challenge for policymakers. This study investigated water use planning based on the fluctuation of rainfall and the random nature of water resources in Firozabad plain of Fars province. A decision support system was developed to allocate surface water and groundwater among farmers in dry, wet and normal years. To conduct the study, the stochastic goal programming approach with two goals of farm management and environmental impact was applied. The data was collected from Fars Regional Water Authority in 1985-2007. To make a decision, the model yields three reduction coefficients of surface water, standard groundwater and complementary groundwater for the three periods of dry, wet and normal months. The results show that, in drought periods, the model recommends using more groundwater than in wet periods in order to save surface water.