Evaluation of the Effects of Exploitation of Sefidrood Irrigation and Drainage Network on the Life of Anzali Wetland

In this study, the effects of the exploitation of the Sefidrood drainage irrigation network on Anzali International Wetland in the framework of IWRM are investigated. For this purpose, first, the values of hydrological indicators including water level, area, and volume of Anzali wetland were determined by considering economic, social and ecological conditions at the desired and minimum levels. After examining the current condition of the wetland, the relationship between the inflow to the wetland and the upstream exploitation system was simulated using the WEAP model and the model was calibrated for the baseline scenario with R2 and RMSE of 0.99 and 0.47, respectively. The results of scenario analysis in different conditions showed that currently the volume and level of the wetland are more dependent on the sea level and the inflow to the wetland only in flood conditions can show its effect on the volume and level of the wetland. Based on the results, it can be said that the ecological life of Anzali wetland is more affected by the discharge of the wetland to the Caspian Sea than by the quantitative management of water resources upstream of the wetland and water abstraction from Sefidrood irrigation and drainage network for agriculture, animal husbandry and aquaculture.