Investigation of EIA Methodologies in Water Resources Management Projects in Arid Regions and Selection the optimized Combined Method

Today Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is known as one of the most important tools for decision makers in the construction of civil and industrial projects towards sustainable development. In the past, projects were evaluated based on cost and benefit analysis regardless of the physical and biological environmental effects and its socio-economical impacts. Water resources management projects in arid and semi-arid regions have direct effect on the water crisis and future sanitary problems. Several activities are required in an EIA study, including impact identification, preparation of a description of the affected environment, impact prediction and assessment which all of them have many methods in study. There are many scenarios in evaluation of their method in every where. Weight, importance, intensity, time period of effects, affected zone etc which are variable in EIA study approach in arid region regarding to water crisis and demand and resources function. In this research five main categories of EIA methods like matrices methods, decision analysis, Kane simulation model, overlay method, check list and network methods and their sub methods have been investigated. The results of this research led us to decision making in adopting the optimized and useful method in arid regions according to a 3D function of demand, consumption and resources of water. So that EIA study on water resources management projects in arid regions should be carried out depend on the time and period of year and location of the project according to rule curve of demand and generation potential.

کلیدواژه ها:

EIA ، 3D function of demand ، consumption and resources ، Water resources management projects ، arid and semi-arid regions