Effect of Optimizing Cultivation Pattern of Agricultural Crops on Water Consumption Management Under Virtual Water and Water Footprint Approach

The main challenges facing the agricultural sector in Sistan plain include scarcity of water resources, inadequate water rationing, and suboptimal cultivation patterns. Based on this, the main objective of this study was to determine the optimal cultivation pattern of agricultural crops by considering the virtual water and water footprint and assessing the impact on water consumption in this region. To achieve this objective, virtual water indicators and green, blue and gray water footprints of agricultural crops were calculated to quantify water consumption in the Sistan region. Then, considering the virtual water and water footprint, the optimal pattern of plant cultivation was determined using a fuzzy ideal programming model. The optimization model results were tested based on a system dynamics approach in the Vensim PLE8.3.5 software. The results showed that the virtual water content of agricultural products in this region was 2.69 m3/kg. The annual water requirement of agricultural crops was 1019 MCM, of which 62% is met. After optimizing the cultivation pattern, the water requirement reduced to 600 MCM per year, of which 89% is supplied. Additionally, the optimization of cultivation patterns increased water supply to the environmental sector from 138 to 240 MCM per year.