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A Conflict-Resolution Model for the Conjunctive Use of Surface and Groundwater Resources that Considers Water-Quality Issues: A Case Study

Environmental Management volume 43, Article number: 470 (2009) Cite this article

Abstract

The conjunctive use of surface and groundwater resources is one alternative for optimal use of available water resources in arid and semiarid regions. The optimization models proposed for conjunctive water allocation are often complicated, nonlinear, and computationally intensive, especially when different stakeholders are involved that have conflicting interests. In this article, a new conflict-resolution methodology developed for the conjunctive use of surface and groundwater resources using Nondominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II) and Young Conflict-Resolution Theory (YCRT) is presented. The proposed model is applied to the Tehran aquifer in the Tehran metropolitan area of Iran. Stakeholders in the study area have conflicting interests related to water supply with acceptable quality, pumping costs, groundwater quality, and groundwater table fluctuations. In the proposed methodology, MODFLOW and MT3D groundwater quantity and quality simulation models are linked with the NSGA-II optimization model to develop Pareto fronts among the objectives. The best solutions on the Pareto fronts are then selected using YCRT. The results of the proposed model show the significance of applying an integrated conflict-resolution approach to conjunctive use of surface and groundwater resources in the study area.

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Acknowledgements

The technical contributions of Barbara S. Minsker (School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, IL) and Hossein Sedghi, (Department of Hydraulic Structures, Islamic Azad Univesity—Tehran Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran) are acknowledged. The authors also thank anonymous reviewers for insightful comments that improved the quality of this article.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Hydraulic Structures, Islamic Azad University – Tehran Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran

    Mohammad Reza Bazargan-Lari

  2. Department of Civil Engineering, Islamic Azad University – East Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran

    Mohammad Reza Bazargan-Lari

  3. Center of Excellence for Infrastructure Engineering and Management, School of Civil Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

    Reza Kerachian

  4. Department of Civil Engineering, Postgraduate School, Islamic Azad University – South Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran

    Abbas Mansoori

Authors
  1. Mohammad Reza Bazargan-Lari
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  2. Reza Kerachian
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  3. Abbas Mansoori
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Correspondence to Reza Kerachian.

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Bazargan-Lari, M.R., Kerachian, R. & Mansoori, A. A Conflict-Resolution Model for the Conjunctive Use of Surface and Groundwater Resources that Considers Water-Quality Issues: A Case Study . Environmental Management 43, 470 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-008-9191-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-008-9191-6

Keywords

  • Water-resource management
  • Conjunctive use
  • Groundwater
  • NSGA-II
  • Young conflict-resolution theory
  • Tehran aquifer