University of Birjand Water Harvesting Research 2476-6976 6 2 2023 09 01 Climatic Zoning of South Khorasan Province in the Future Using General Circulation Models 157 171 2695 10.22077/jwhr.2023.6872.1112 EN Mahdi Amirabadizadeh Assistant Professor, Department of Water Engineering, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran & Research Group of Drought and Climate Change, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran. Mohammad Puyafar MSc in Water Resources, Department of Water Engineering, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran. Mostafa Yaghoobzadeh Associate Professor, Department of Water Engineering, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran & Research Group of Drought and Climate Change, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran. Journal Article 2023 10 14 Climate is a complex system that is affected by changes in climatic parameters. By predicting and examining the range of changes in meteorological parameters in the future, it is possible to adopt appropriate solutions to reduce the harmful effects of climate change. Using atmospheric general circulation models is the most reliable method. In this study, precipitation, maximum and minimum temperatures of five synoptic stations of Birjand, Qaen, Nehbandan, Ferdows and Tabas, for the base period of 1988 to 2005 as well as the outputs of six climate models of CanESM2, GFDL-CM3, CSIRO-MK3, MPI-ESM - LR, MIROC-ESM and GISS-ES-R, were collected under RCP8.5 and RCP4.5 emission scenarios for a 16-year period (2020-2035) and downscaled using the LARS-WG5.0 model. Then, using the RMSE and MAE statistical indices, the quality of the down-scale representation was evaluated. Afterwards, by calculating the climate classification indices of De Martonne and Amberger, the province was classified with the help of GIS software. De Martonne classification indicates that the climate of the province will not change in the near future compared to the base period while based on the classification of Amberger and under all six models and both scenarios, Birjand, Qaen and Ferdows cities are predicted to have temperate climate and Tabas city is expected have a hot and mild desert climate. For Nehbandan city, the GFDL-CM3, CSIRO-MK3 and GISS-ES-R models of the fifth report under the RCP4.5 scenario predicted a moderate climate and the rest of the large-scale models predicted a moderate desert climate.

https://jwhr.birjand.ac.ir/article_2695_d162a8fa894a85ed9c9eb36e39b2a82f.pdf

University of Birjand Water Harvesting Research 2476-6976 6 2 2023 09 01 Impact of Irrigation Water Salinity and Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria on Some Soil Properties in Pot Experiment 172 182 2721 10.22077/jwhr.2024.7138.1123 EN Farhad Azarmi-Atajan Assistant Professor, Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran. Journal Article 2023 11 05 Increasing use of saline water resources for irrigation of agricultural lands, especially in arid and semi-arid areas, in addition to the accumulation of salts in the soil, has caused the loss of various properties of the soil and reduced the yield of agricultural products. Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) by producing different compounds can improve soil properties and reduce the negative effects of salinity stress on soil and plants function. In this study, the effect of PGPR [Control (PGPR0), Pseudomonas sp. 1 (PGPR1) and Pseudomonas sp. 2 (PGPR2)] and different levels of irrigation water salinity (0, 5 and 10 dS.m-1) on some soil properties in the rhizosphere of pistachio seedlings was investigated. The results showed that with the increase in irrigation water salinity, the amount of electrical conductivity (EC), soluble forms of sodium (Nas) and magnesium (Mgs), sodium absorption ratio (SAR), HCO3 and soil moisture content (Өm) increased by 3.8 times, 5.2 times, 2.5 times, 2.3 times, 23% and 59%, respectively, but the amount of pH, available phosphorus (AP) and organic matter (OM) decreased by 2%, 25% and 20%, respectively. However, treatment with PGPRs increased the content of AP (35-78%), available potassium (10-18%), OM (18-29%) and Өm (48%) and decreased the content of Nas (12-14%), ECe (10-12%), pH (3%) and SAR (14%) in different irrigation water salinity levels. Regarding to the presented result, using salt-tolerant bacteria in agricultural lands with saline water and soil can mitigate the negative effects of salinity stress on soil properties.

https://jwhr.birjand.ac.ir/article_2721_221482663f4b480d6ea889fe171a5b96.pdf

University of Birjand Water Harvesting Research 2476-6976 6 2 2023 09 01 Hydrological Drought and Time Series Analysis: A Case Study of the Zarrinehrood Basin 183 194 2730 10.22077/jwhr.2024.7126.1122 EN Soroush Rahimi Kakehjub MSc Student, Department of Water Engineering, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran. Hossein Rezaie Professor, Department of Water Engineering, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran. Keivan Khalili Associate Professor, Department of Water Engineering, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran. Mohammad Nazeri Tahroudi Assistant Professor, Department of Water Engineering, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran. Journal Article 2023 11 08 Drought is a significant aspect of Iran's climate, affecting both dry and wet regions. This study examines the river flow data from four hydrometric stations in the Zarrinehrood Basin (Dareh-Panbedan (DP), Pol-Anian (PA), Sonateh and Nezamabad) to analyze and forecast hydrological drought in the present and future periods, considering the impact of climate change. Additionally, the study aims to account for and mitigate the dam's effect on one of the studied stations. The analysis of river flow changes at the studied stations indicated a decreasing trend over the study period. To predict the hydrological drought index for the study area, the SDI index was utilized for reference periods of 3, 6, 9, and 12 months, along with climate change predictors derived from the CanESM2 climate model as outlined in the fifth IPCC report. The CARMA model and climate predictors were employed to simulate and forecast river flow for future periods. The results of the CARMA model investigation for simulating river flow in the test phase indicate that the error value at DP station is 4.07, at PA station is 6.46, at Sonateh station is 4.07, and at Nezamabad station is 70.14 cubic meters per second. These findings suggest that the hydrological drought in the studied basin is expected to worsen in the coming years.

https://jwhr.birjand.ac.ir/article_2730_1bcbb843d49853c750b452053921e534.pdf

University of Birjand Water Harvesting Research 2476-6976 6 2 2023 09 01 Public Attitudes toward Environmental Impacts from Seawater Desalination: Insights from Southeast Iran 195 202 2750 10.22077/jwhr.2024.7158.1124 EN Hasan Sayyad MSc Student, Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Zabol, Zabol, Iran. Mohsen Shahriari Moghadam Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Zabol, Zabol, Iran. Malihe Erfani Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Zabol, Zabol, Iran. Saeed Mohammadi Assistant Professor Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Zabol, Zabol, Iran. Journal Article 2023 12 10 Freshwater scarcity is a growing issue in water-scarce countries, and the rising population increasingly depends on unconventional water sources, like desalinated seawater. The environmental impact of desalination is crucial, and it is equally important for stakeholders to comprehend these effects as the success of projects relies on the participation and support of local communities. However, there are varied and at times conflicting opinions regarding the environmental impact of desalination plants among the general public. This study examines public attitudes of the environmental effects of desalination plant operations through the use of questionnaires conducted along a section of the coast of Chabahar in the southeast of Iran. According to the results, there is a positive significant relationship between knowledge and factual knowledge of citizens about the environmental impact of desalination plants (p<0.05). It was found that males reported higher knowledge and factual knowledge than females (p<0.05) which can be due to their higher education and their greater role in the family economy. As long as, those with higher marine-dependent livelihood showed a higher knowledge and factual knowledge in using desalinators (p<0.05). In addition, Internet and TV were the main information sources that used. In general, these results can help decision-makers in public participation programs and the trade-off between freshwater need environmental sustainability. Through determining the key role of environmental education, we suggested that education to local people should be placed at the urgent priority of development of technology for desalination of sea water.

https://jwhr.birjand.ac.ir/article_2750_ee0e7e9a9d7b80dca67c4850e96f6d43.pdf

University of Birjand Water Harvesting Research 2476-6976 6 2 2023 09 01 Comparison of Virtual Water Amount and Sugarcane Consumption in Water Shortage Conditions of Khuzestan Region, Iran 203 212 2756 10.22077/jwhr.2024.7185.1126 EN Seyedeh Zahra Nouri MSc Student, Department of Water Engineering, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran. Aliheidar Nasrolahi Associate Professor, Department of Water Engineering, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran. Mohsen Ahmadee Ph.D. Agricultural Engineering, Irrigation and Drainage, Khorramabad, Iran. Journal Article 2023 12 17 This study aimed to assess the virtual water of sugarcane under two irrigation scenarios in the Khuzestan province of Iran. The first scenario (S1) reflected current water consumption conditions in sugarcane fields, while the second scenario (S2) involved a 30% reduction in water usage on these farms. In S1, the average virtual water content was 0.42 m3.kg-1, which decreased to 0.32 m3.kg-1 in S2. The virtual water variation among sugarcane units in S1 was 0.62 m3.kg-1, while in S2, it was 0.53 m3.kg-1. In S1, the virtual water contribution of all sugarcane units to the water stress index of Khuzestan's agricultural sector was approximately 20.1%. This indicated that sugarcane production accounted for one-fifth of the water resources in the province's agricultural sector, primarily for export. This contribution decreased by 14.1% in S2. The changes in virtual water were comparable among different sugarcane units in both scenarios. The water stress index, based on the virtual water per total allocated water resources in the agricultural sector in Khuzestan (VKA), revealed high values (2%<VKA) in the Mirza Kochuk Khan, Debal-Khazai, Farabi, Karoon, and Dehkhoda units, moderate values (1% <VKA< 2%) in the Imam Khomeini and Salman Farsi units, and low values (VKA<1%) in the Haft Tappeh and Mianab units. Overall, the virtual water value and cultivated area significantly influenced the share of each sugarcane unit in the total virtual water amount. Notably, the Haft Tappeh and Mianab units had the smallest virtual water share, attributed to their smaller cultivated areas.

https://jwhr.birjand.ac.ir/article_2756_25e1292ea42a68f7899f9416b948129e.pdf

University of Birjand Water Harvesting Research 2476-6976 6 2 2023 09 01 Implementation of a Machine-Learning-Based Approach for Forecasting Watershed Stream Flow (Case Study: Chehel Chai Watershed, Iran) 213 225 2793 10.22077/jwhr.2024.6969.1117 EN Hamed Sahranavard MSc Student of Water Resources Management, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran. Mahdi Naseri Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran. Abolfazl Akbarpour Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran. Farshad Ahmadi Assistant Professor, Department of Hydrology & Water Resources Engineering, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran. Journal Article 2023 11 19 The importance of the optimal and efficient use of all available water resources becomes noticeable when today due to successive droughts and a decrease in rainfall, the surface water resources are running out. Runoff and surface water resources are some of the primary and vital available water resources, and hence, modeling and predicting their behavior are especially critical. In the current research, the aim was to model the stream flow of the Chehel Chai watershed in Golestan province, Iran, using the data of the stream flow and precipitation for a period of 45 years. For this reason, 4 machine learning algorithms namely, Extreme Learning Machine (ELM), Random Forest (RF), Gaussian Process Regression (GPR), and Gene Expression Programming (GEP) were used. The data were entered into the modeling in the form of different scenarios consisting of the stream flow and precipitation with varying lags of time. The results showed that scenario M2 (using only stream flow data with two time lags) in the ELM (extreme learning machine) model with the values of RMSE (root mean square error) =0.984 (m3/s) and R2=0.613 had the most accurate performance and predictions among all the models and scenarios.

https://jwhr.birjand.ac.ir/article_2793_055aa19828ea7edf39a9900d5d0e0eb3.pdf

University of Birjand Water Harvesting Research 2476-6976 6 2 2023 09 01 Investigating Changes in Pan Evaporation Values in Iran, Considering the Autocorrelation Effect 226 237 2796 10.22077/jwhr.2024.7339.1130 EN Ali Lalehpour Ph.D Student, Department of Water Engineering, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran. Keivan Khalili Associate Professor, Department of Water Engineering, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran. Hossein Rezaie Professor, Department of Water Engineering, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran. Mohammad Nazeri Tahroudi Assistant Professor, Department of Water Engineering, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran. Journal Article 2024 01 04 Investigating the long-term changes of meteorological parameters in each basin or region serves as the first component of the monitoring system. In this study, the trend of changes in pan evaporation values in Iran's meteorological stations (provincial centers) in the period of 1994-2021 was investigated using the modified Mann-Kendall test by removing the effect of data autocorrelation. The results of the investigation of the trend of changes in pan evaporation values in Iran showed that in 54% of the studied stations, the trend of changes in pan evaporation values is increasing and in 46% it is decreasing. But the average changes in Iran are incremental. Significant increasing and decreasing changes were also observed among the studied stations. The capital of Iran, Tehran, obtained the highest increase in pan evaporation among other studied stations according to the slope of the trend line (Sen’s slope). The highest rate of reduction in annual pan evaporation is related to Ahvaz station in the southwest of Iran. The results of the regional spatial survey also showed that the main decreasing changes in the amount of pan evaporation values are observed in the southern, southwestern and southeastern regions of Iran. The results of the present study show that despite the increase in temperature in most areas, there is a decrease in pan evaporation values in some areas. This reduction of pan evaporation values is important in studies of water resources and meteorology, considering the arid and semi-arid climate of Iran.

https://jwhr.birjand.ac.ir/article_2796_9bf757e59b346be2710d534ab1c1ee17.pdf

University of Birjand Water Harvesting Research 2476-6976 6 2 2023 09 01 Investigating the Effect of Agricultural Products Insurance on Acceptance of Adaptation to Climate Change in Agricultural Sector 238 247 2812 10.22077/jwhr.2024.7326.1129 EN Nasrollah Habibi Fath Abadi MSc Student, Department of Agricultural Economics, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran. Elham Khajehpour Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran. Sedigheh Nabieyan Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran. Journal Article 2024 01 18 Climate change is a worldwide issue impacting all living beings and their surroundings. In Iran, drought is a critical climatic factor. The initial response to climate change involves comprehending its potential impacts and assessing their scope and nature accurately. On the other hand, focusing on social aspects and perspectives is crucial for assessing adaptation solutions and engaging people in addressing current water issues and crises amidst climate change conditions. Climate change adaptation involves adjusting natural or human systems to mitigate damage and capitalize on opportunities arising from climate change impacts. Iran is among the countries greatly impacted by climate change. The recent droughts in the country have notably affected agricultural production. Adapting to climate change is crucial for effective management in agriculture. This study aimed to explore the factors influencing the acceptance of climate change adaptation in agriculture in 2018. The sample consists of 247 farmers from Baft city, and the questionnaire's questions demonstrate good validity and reliability (Cronbach's alpha coefficient 76.9%). The research employs the logit model, chosen as the suitable model after investigation. The descriptive and inferential results suggest that factors like agricultural product insurance have a positive impact on the acceptance of climate change adaptation. Additionally, it is important to identify and study the factors influencing the acceptance of agricultural product insurance in the targeted area.

https://jwhr.birjand.ac.ir/article_2812_12d66f24c8da834d50f2b14ed056c623.pdf

University of Birjand Water Harvesting Research 2476-6976 6 2 2023 09 01 Assessment of the Impacts of Drought on Surface Water Resource Quality: A Case Study in Aleshtar, Lorestan Province, Iran 248 262 2790 10.22077/jwhr.2024.7172.1125 EN Masoud Goudarzi Associate Professor, Soil Conservation and Watershed Management Research Institute, AREEO, Tehran, Iran. Rahim Kazemi Assistant Professor, Soil Conservation and Watershed Management Research Institute, AREEO, Tehran, Iran. Journal Article 2023 12 15 Evaluation of water quality along with water supply can be considered as a very important step in consumption optimization of water in all sectors including agricultural purposes, industries and even drinking water supply. Generally, recognition of water resources quality and quantity and its temporal and spatial changes are considered as a key element in management of water supplies. Natural and human-made manipulations in every region can change water resources quality physically, chemically and even bacteriologically. Due to the importance of water quality, a vast range of researches and analysis are being in process or have been done before. Iran have been suffered from long and intense droughts in recent decades. Drought is a creeping phenomenon with a huge annual damage. Iran has suffered a variety of droughts in recent years and annually significant losses have been inflicted on different parts of the country These have affected the country’s resources socially and politically such as immigrations. The studied area is a part of Kashkan basin, which covers an area of 9560 square kilometers. In this research, by measuring the chemical parameters out samples taken from surface water and determining the occurrence periods of meteorological drought, the relationship between these events and the quality of surface water in Lorestan province was investigated in a 30-year period in hydrometric stations. The main objective of this research was analyzing the chemical parameters and their changes and trends considering droughts and dry spells in Kashkan basin. For this purpose, the chemical quality of the rivers with quality data of the basin was studied and analyzed. The results of this research showed that the contribution of each formation in the way of stream bed and also the role of droughts on surface water quality and how the quality of surface waters in each sub-basin has changed. Data analysis shows that chemical parameters in surface water have been degraded through the years although the geologic formations in the way of the stream are consonant but the water quality dropped a lot in quality which can be attributed to the droughts occurred during the study periods (e.g. EC rate has been increased from 382.52 μm/cm to 570 μm/cm). Finally, it was shown that surface water is still suitable (C2S1) for irrigation in agriculture despite qualitative decline.

https://jwhr.birjand.ac.ir/article_2790_edf9cc87663fcf2e26291285aa4a8ae2.pdf

University of Birjand Water Harvesting Research 2476-6976 6 2 2023 09 01 The Effect of Plastic Mulch on Water Consumption and Morphophysiological Traits of Oat and Barley 263 275 2835 10.22077/jwhr.2024.7289.1128 EN Hassan Heidari Associate Professor, Department of Plant Production and Genetics Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran. Salman Aliakbari MSc Student, Department of Plant Production and Genetics Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran. Journal Article 2024 02 13 Plastic mulches play an important role in reducing water consumption. An experiment was conducted at Research Greenhouse, Razi University, Iran. The experiment was a completely randomized design with three treatments and three replications. Plants used for testing were barley and oat. Treatments included control (without plastic mulch), transparent plastic mulch with half coverage and plastic mulch with almost full coverage. This study aimed at determining the percentage of the plastic cover that had the highest dry matter production and water use efficiency. Results showed that treatment of plastic mulch with almost full coverage had the lowest water consumption and the treatment without the plastic mulch had the highest water consumption. The treatment of barley with full coverage had a water-saving of almost 40 percent compared to control. Water use efficiencies for both plants treated with almost full coverage were highest among treatments. There was no significant difference between plastic mulch treatments in terms of leaf relative water content, fresh and dry weight of stem, fresh and dry weight of leaves, plant height, and leaf area in oat and barley. In this way, by applying a coating on the soil surface and preventing the loss of soil moisture, water consumption can be significantly reduced, while the dry matter produced is not reduced.

https://jwhr.birjand.ac.ir/article_2835_58d9914f541b46f83a899ed129ccd74a.pdf

University of Birjand Water Harvesting Research 2476-6976 6 2 2023 09 01 Computation of Water Surface Profile through the Gravel Dams in Series 276 287 2846 10.22077/jwhr.2024.6793.1107 EN Jafar Chabokpour Associate Professor, Civil Engineering Department, University of Maragheh, Maragheh, Iran. Journal Article 2023 09 17 This paper presents an in-depth study of water surface calculation of rockfill detention structures in series. Different flow characteristics in porous media were investigated, explaining the influence of velocity, hydraulic gradient and geometric media characteristics. Two mathematical models were presented based on the fundamental relationships in gradually varied flow theory in open channels and combining it with the pore velocity equations of Wilkins and Forchheimer. The analytical solutions were evaluated using laboratory data sets of three angular rockfill materials and four employed discharges. It was observed that presented analytical solutions can accurately predict the water surface profile. However, the Forchheimer equation needs the calibration of two coefficients in comparison to the Wilkins equation with one coefficient. Also, the results show a good association between the Froude number and Manning's coefficient in the power form trend. It was seen that power variation provides a suitable interpretation of the flow coefficient for all flow and rockfill geometric conditions.

https://jwhr.birjand.ac.ir/article_2846_31f2f4e91f3dd213e107145ff86800fe.pdf

University of Birjand Water Harvesting Research 2476-6976 6 2 2023 09 01 Gray and White Water Footprint Estimation in a Greenhouse Production 288 299 2848 10.22077/jwhr.2024.7347.1131 EN Amir Hossein Rezapour PhD Candidate, Kish International Campus, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. Mohammad Hossein Niksokhan Professor, Faculty of Environment, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. Hamid Abdolabadi Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental Engineering, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran. 0000-0003-2589-2773 Journal Article 2024 02 26 Optimizing water use in agriculture is crucial for sustainable resource management and increased productivity. Water footprint analysis, which measures the total water used directly and indirectly throughout a product's life cycle, offers valuable insights for improving water management practices. This study investigated the gray and white water footprints of a greenhouses cultivation, bell pepper, under different conditions including misting and pot cover. Evapotranspiration rates were used to calculate water demand under various scenarios. Nitrate (NO3), potassium (K), and total phosphorus (TP) were monitored as key chemical parameters to calculate the gray water. Three scenarios including stringent (S1), normal (S2), and lenient (S3) are established based on water quality standards. The findings revealed that misting and covering pots significantly reduced the gray water footprint compared to non-misting or uncovered scenarios. The total gray water footprint for bell peppers under misting and covered conditions was 2976 m3/ton, while it reached 3968m3/ton under non-misting and uncovered conditions, this represents a reduction of nearly 33% due to the combined effect of misting and pot cover. Importantly, water quality standards also played a significant role, with stricter standards leading to a higher gray water footprint (e.g., a difference of 2655m3/ton between scenarios S1 and S3 under misting and covered conditions).The white water footprint, representing freshwater directly used for cultivation, also varied across different scenarios.

https://jwhr.birjand.ac.ir/article_2848_7bfb4135af1e04c630f617457117d708.pdf