A Decision Support System (DSS) for Water Resources Management, – Design and Results from a Pilot Study in Syria

Abstract

Within the framework of a technical cooperation project between ACSAD and BGR a Decision Support System (DSS) for water resources management was developed and applied in two pilot areas. The DSS consists of three major components, a project database, a groundwater flow model (MODFLOW2000) and a user-friendly water evaluation and planning software (WEAP, www.weap21.org). The modelling components MODFLOW and WEAP have been dynamically linked so that for each time-step results of one model are transferred as input data to the other. MODFLOW calculates groundwater heads, storage and flow, whereas WEAP calculates groundwater recharge, river stage, irrigation demand and the remaining water balance components. Via the WEAP interface the user can manipulate inputs and evaluate and compare results of various current as well as future scenarios in the target area, such as: • Human activities (population growth, urbanization, domestic demands) • Agriculture activities (land use, crop types, irrigation practices) • Climate impacts (climate change models, regional climate cycles) • Network characteristics (transmission link losses and limits, well field characteristics, well depths) • Additional resources (artificial recharge, waste water reuse) The results are visualized as graphs, maps and tables (hydraulic heads, water balances, etc.) and support the decision making process among the relevant stakeholders and decision makers. In two pilot areas, the Zabadani basin, Syria (outlined in this paper) and the Ber-rechid basin, Morocco (still under calibration) the DSS has been tested and applied. These applications have been proved the strengths of the DSS-tool especially considering the impacts of climate change, changes in demand and supply, waste water reuse and artificial recharge scenarios on water availability. The DSS has been giving the local stakeholders, institutions and decision makers a valuable base for their current and future water management planning.