Hafiz Umar Farid

Regional Groundwater Quality Management through Hydrogeological Modeling in LCC, West Faisalabad, Pakistan

The intensive abstraction of groundwater is causing a number of problems such as groundwater depletion and quality deterioration. To manage such problems, the data of 256 piezometers regarding groundwater levels and quality were acquired for the period of 2003 to 2012 in command area of Lower Chenab Canal (LCC), West Faisalabad, Pakistan. MODFLOW and MT3D models were calibrated for the period of 2003–2007 and validated for years 2008–2012 with respect to observed groundwater levels and quality data, respectively. After the successful calibration and validation, two pumping scenarios were developed up to year 2030: Scenario I (increase in pumping rate according to the historical trend) and Scenario II (adjusted canal water supplies and groundwater patterns). The predicted results of Scenario I revealed that, up to year 2030, the area under good quality groundwater reduced significantly from 50.35 to 28.95%, while marginal and hazardous groundwater quality area increased from 49.65 to 71.06%. Under Scenario II, the good quality groundwater area increased to 6.32% and 12.48% area possesses less hazardous quality of groundwater. It was concluded that the canal water supply should shift from good quality aquifer zone to poor quality aquifer zone for proficient management of groundwater at the study area.

A linear bi-level multi-objective program for optimal allocation of water resources

This paper presents a simple bi-level multi-objective linear program (BLMOLP) with a hierarchical structure consisting of reservoir managers and several water use sectors under a multi-objective framework for the optimal allocation of limited water resources. Being the upper level decision makers (i.e., leader) in the hierarchy, the reservoir managers control the water allocation system and tend to create a balance among the competing water users thereby maximizing the total benefits to the society. On the other hand, the competing water use sectors, being the lower level decision makers (i.e., followers) in the hierarchy, aim only to maximize individual sectoral benefits. This multi-objective bi-level optimization problem can be solved using the simultaneous compromise constraint (SICCON) technique which creates a compromise between upper and lower level decision makers (DMs), and transforms the multi-objective function into a single decision-making problem. The bi-level model developed in this study has been applied to the Swat River basin in Pakistan for the optimal allocation of water resources among competing water demand sectors and different scenarios have been developed. The application of the model in this study shows that the SICCON is a simple, applicable and feasible approach to solve the BLMOLP problem. Finally, the comparisons of the model results show that the optimization model is practical and efficient when it is applied to different conditions with priorities assigned to various water users.

Assessment of Water Quality Profile Using Numerical Modeling Approach in Major Climate Classes of Asia

A river water quality spatial profile has a diverse pattern of variation over different climatic regions. To comprehend this phenomenon, our study evaluated the spatial scale variation of the Water Quality Index (WQI). The study was carried out over four main climatic classes in Asia based on the Koppen-Geiger climate classification system: tropical, temperate, cold, and arid. The one-dimensional surface water quality model, QUAL2Kw was selected and compared for water quality simulations. Calibration and validation were separately performed for the model predictions over different climate classes. The accuracy of the water quality model was assessed using different statistical analyses. The spatial profile of WQI was calculated using model predictions based on dissolved oxygen (DO), biological oxygen demand (BOD), nitrate (NO3), and pH. The results showed that there is a smaller longitudinal variation of WQI in the cold climatic regions than other regions, which does not change the status of WQI. Streams from arid, temperate, and tropical climatic regions show a decreasing trend of DO with respect to the longitudinal profiles of main river flows. Since this study found that each climate zone has the different impact on DO dynamics such as reaeration rate, reoxygenation, and oxygen solubility. The outcomes obtained in this study are expected to provide the impetus for developing a strategy for the viable improvement of the water environment.