Investigating the Role of Water Yield Ecosystem Service in WA + Resource Base Sheet (Case of Urmia Lake Basin)

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 PhD Candidate in Environmental Planning, Department of Environment, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran

2 Associate Professor, Department of Environment, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran

3 PhD in Water Engineering, Research Institute of Dynamic Knowledge Strategy, Tehran

Abstract

Water yield is one of the most important hydrological ecosystem services. It directly affects the sustainable development of socio-economic systems. This study aims to quantify the ecosystem water yield and compare it with the water resource base sheet in water accounting Plus (WA +) in the Lake Urmia basin. First, the resources base sheet from WA + framework was estimated for the study area using hydrological data and remote sensing data in 2015. In the next step, in order to quantify the water yield in the same year, the water yield model was used in InVest software. Water yield input data include land use/cover, precipitation, average annual reference evapotranspiration, root restricting layer depth, plant available water content, sub-basin and basin layers and biophysical data. The amount of water yield (m3) in the basin and sub-basin was obtained through running the water yield model in InVest 3.5.0. The results showed that the amount of water inflows in the Urmia Lake basin in WA + in 2015 is equal to 16 Km3, of which 7 Km3 was the share of ecosystem service of water yield in this basin. Therefore, the land use/cover plays an important role in supplying water resources by producing more than 43% of the volume of water inflows in the basin. In conclusion, quantifying the ecosystems water yield can lead to better planning in water resources management as well as preserving ecosystem values. The results of the water yield model and the WA + resources base sheet can be used in integrated water resources management and planning for equitable water allocation.

Keywords


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