Analysis of Possible Actions to Manage the Longitudinal Changes of Water Salinity in a Tidal River

Ali Dinar Abdullah (), Ioana Popescu (), Ali Dastgheib (), Pieter Zaag (), Ilyas Masih () and Usama F. A. Karim ()
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Ali Dinar Abdullah: UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education
Ioana Popescu: UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education
Ali Dastgheib: UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education
Pieter Zaag: UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education
Ilyas Masih: UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education
Usama F. A. Karim: University of Twente

Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), 2017, vol. 31, issue 7, No 7, 2157-2171

Abstract: Abstract In previous studies we have ascertained that inflows and seawater intrusion in the Shatt al-Arab River (SAR) are two key physical factors behind fluctuating and sharply escalating salinities observed in recent years. Such levels require a series of countermeasures and investigative studies to translate physical factors into a salinity dynamics model to understand the problem and its impact as these factors vary in location, time and quantity. A one-dimensional hydrodynamic and salt intrusion numerical model was applied to simulate the complex salinity regime in the SAR based on hourly time-series data for the year 2014. The model was used to analyse the impact of different management scenarios on salinity under different conditions. The results show a high correlation between seawater intrusion and river discharge. Increased use of water upstream and local water withdrawals along the SAR will increase seawater intrusion and salinity concentrations. Improving the quantity and quality of the upstream freshwater sources could reduce salinity levels. Discharging the drainage water into the river could be used to counteract the salt intrusion, considering that its location affects both the salinity distribution and extent. A scenario analysis based on a numerical model constructed for the longitudinal salinity variation associated with different sources in a tidal regime, can efficiently screen alternative water management strategies.

Keywords: Salinity; Shatt al-Arab River; Hydrodynamic modelling; Salt intrusion; Water management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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DOI: 10.1007/s11269-017-1634-5

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