Effects of Weather Modification Operations on Water Resources of Khash Basin using Water Evaluation And Planning (WEAP) Model

One of the ways to increase rainfall and water production is cloud seeding technology. In this regard, the purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of cloud seeding technology on increasing the water of Khash Basin, as the most prone area for climate change projects in Sistan Province as documented in several national and international studies; Considering the scenario of increasing rainfall by about 15 to 25%, the management of water resources was studied on the drinking, agriculture and industry sectors in this basin. Therefore, the current percentage of meeting the needs of drinking, agriculture and industry was compared using Water Evaluation And Planning (WEAP) with the future condition considering a 20% increase in rainfall due to the implementation of cloud seeding project.

WEAP is a comprehensive, user-friendly, and flexible model developed for water resources planning. The main advantage of WEAP is the integrated approach in simulating irrigation systems and evaluating the impact of different policies. In the field of hydrological modeling, the WEAP software models all the processes necessary for the quantitative balance of surface water and the interaction of the groundwater aquifer with the river flow. The methods for modeling surface water in the software are: 1) soil moisture method, 2) water requirement method (FAO), and 3) standard method (rainfall-runoff). We will use the standard method according to the available data/information.

In the current situation, urban and rural drinking needs are fully met according to the higher priority. Also, the needs of agriculture and industry are met 100% in December, January and February and less than 25% in April to September, which is a significant shortage and management measures must be compensated for this shortage. The reliability of urban and rural drinking needs is 100%, which means that these needs are fully met in all months of the period. This percentage is about 33% for industry needs and about 25% for agriculture needs, which means a lack of proper reliability to meet these needs. The percentage of needs supply in the industry and agriculture sectors has increased with increasing rainfall in March and April. The results show the positive effect of implementing climate change projects on water resources in Khash Basin.

The results showed a 20% increase in precipitation in the Khash area, which was identified as a cloud-prone area; it has a positive effect on the percentage of supply of different needs. Cloud fertility as one of the most cost-effective methods of water supply can be effective as a suitable solution in the management of water resources of basins in various drinking, industry and agriculture sectors and according to various scientific sources Long-term implementation of climate change projects can be a valuable and cost-effective solution to the effects of drought and climate change in the country's basins.