Performance Evaluation of Water Management Planning in Karbala City, Iraq
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56294/sctconf20251542Keywords:
Water Management plan, water supply, water demand, ground waterAbstract
Introduction: Karbala, a significant religious tourist destination, faces increasing water demand due to rapid population growth. The city primarily relies on the Al-Husseiniya River, a tributary of the Euphrates River, and groundwater sources comprising 1,837 active wells with an average discharge rate of 0.014 m³/s. The irrigated land area is estimated to be 49.312 km².
Objectives: The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of current water management strategies in Karbala, identifying infrastructure limitations and proposing sustainable solutions to improve water supply. It also seeks to analyze the impact of population growth on water resources and promote public participation in water conservation. Finally, the goal is to develop a comprehensive framework for water planning and management to ensure short- and long-term sustainability.
Methods: This study evaluated the current water management strategies by analyzing internal and external water sources, considering population growth and infrastructure limitations. A mixed-method approach was employed, integrating quantitative data from water utility reports and qualitative insights from stakeholder interviews. The project was designed for a duration of six years, divided into two phases: the first from 2025 to 2030 and the second from 2030 to 2035.
Results: Despite partial reliance on the town's water supply system, Karbala faced a significant shortfall in meeting demand due to rapid population growth and infrastructure issues. Private connections and alternative sources provided some relief, but interruptions in supply persisted.
Conclusions: Addressing these challenges was essential for ensuring a sustainable water supply for Karbala’s growing population. Studying urban water supply in Karbala identified service delivery issues and provided insights for policymakers, NGOs, and academics to develop solutions and guide future research.
References
1. Jury, M., Malmgren, B. A., and Winter, A. Subregional precipitation climate of the Caribbean and relationships with ENSO and NAO. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 2007; 112 (D16).
2. Al-Fatlawi, A. Water quality assessment of Euphrates River within the middle of Iraq. The International Congress Geotunis 2010. 5th Edition.
3. Connor, Richard, The United Nations world water development report 2015: water for a sustainable world. Publishing UNESCO. 2015; 1.
4. Adedeji, Kazeem B. Towards digitalization of water supply systems for sustainable smart city development—Water 4.0. Applied Sciences. 2022; 12.18: 9174.
5. Tutusaus, Mireia, and Klaas Schwartz. Water services in small towns in developing countries: at the tail end of development. Water Policy. 2018; 20.S1: 1-11.
6. Smith, L., Jacob, L., Butler, L., Schuch, F., Barnett, Y., Grabovac, I.,and Tully, M. A. Prevalence and correlates of physical activity in a sample of UK adults observing social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. BMJ open sport & exercise medicine. 2020; 6(1), e000850.
7. Christia, Fotini, Elizabeth Dekeyser, and Dean Knox. To Karbala: Surveying Religious Shi'a from Iran and Iraq. 2016
8. Rzóska, Julian, ed. Euphrates and Tigris, Mesopotamian ecology and destiny. Springer Science & Business Media. 2012; Vol. 38.
9. Zimmermann, Michel, and Steve Pye. Inequality in energy and climate policies: Assessing distributional impact consideration in UK policy appraisal. Energy Policy. 2018; 123: 594-601.
10. Al-Anbari, Mohammad Ali, and Yusra Raad Ensaif. Landfill Site Selection in Karbala Governorate, Iraq." Journal of Engineering and Sustainable Development. 2018; 22.6: 30-42.
11. Ali, Kamal K., and Zainab A. Kadham. Evaluate the Climatic Conditions for the Al-Najaf–Ain-Al-Tamur Area (Middle of Iraq). 2018.
12. Kadum, W. H., & Al-Ali, I. A. Climate parameters analysis as an indication of climate Changes for Diwaniya, Nasiriya, Kut and Karbala meteorological stations-Central and southern Iraq: Karbala climate condition as a case study. Iraqi Journal of Science. 2022; 5295-5308.
13. Hassan, F. M., Salman, J. M., & Abdulameer, S. H. Seasonal Variation of Environmental Properties and Phytoplankton Community in Al-Hussainya River, Holly Karbala, Iraq. Mesop. Environ. J. 2014; 1(1), 56-82.
14. Abdul Rasoul, K. S., & Matar, A. J. Natural Development Pillars in the Holy Province of Karbala. International Journal of Sustainable Development & Planning. 2024; 19(10).
15. Mekuriaw, Temesgen, "Analysis of current and future water demand scenario in Yejube town, Ethiopia." International Journal of Advanced Science and Engineering. 2019; 6.02: 1291-1304.
16. Griffin, M. A., & Curcuruto, M. Safety climate in organizations. Annual review of organizational psychology and organizational behavior. 2016; 3(1), 191-212.
17. Alegre, I., Mas-Machuca, M., & Berbegal-Mirabent, J. Antecedents of employee job satisfaction: Do they matter. Journal of Business Research. 2016; 69(4), 1390-1395.
18. Ameyaw, E. E., Pärn, E., Chan, A. P., Owusu-Manu, D. G., Edwards, D. J., & Darko, A. Corrupt practices in the construction industry: Survey of Ghanaian experience. Journal of Management in Engineering. 2017; 33(6), 05017006.
19. Mala-Jetmarova, H., Sultanova, N., & Savic, D. Lost in optimisation of water distribution systems? A literature review of system design. Water. 2018; 10(3), 307.
20. Deng, J., Zhou, F., Hou, W., Silver, Z., Wong, C. Y., Chang, O., & Zuo, Q. K. The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances in COVID‐19 patients: a meta‐analysis. Annals of the new York Academy of Sciences. 2021; 1486(1), 90-111.
21. Jasim, W. T., & Altaee, A. H. The Effect of Green Training and Development on Sustainable Performance: An Analytical Research in the Ministry of Environment. Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences. 2023; 29(138), 1-21.
22. Bronić, M., Ott, K., Petrušić, M., Prijaković, S., & Stanić, B. Budget transparency in Croatian Counties, Cities and Municipalities: November 2022-April 2023. IPF notes. 2023; (123), 1-16.
23. Holuša, J., Fiala, T., & Foit, J. Ambrosia beetles prefer closed canopies: A case study in oak forests in Central Europe. Forests. 2021; 12(9), 1223.
24. Mac Bean, C. S. B., & Ilemobade, A. A Re-evaluation of the South African Guidelines for the Provision of Water for Fire Fighting (Doctoral dissertation, University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment). 2018.
25. Al-Fatlawi, Alaa, Wetland System for Water Quality Improvement in Rural Areas, Second International Conference on Building, Construction and Environmental Engineering - BCEE2, Beirut, Lebanon, October. 2015.
26. Al-Fatlawi, Alaa. Risk assessment concerned to chemical and microbial contaminants of water supply system: case study, 2nd International Conference on “Ecological Theology and Environmental Ethics (ECOTHEE-11), Crete, Greece. 2011.
27. Al-Fatlawi, Alaa, A Modeling Approach Towards Improving Compliance of Treated Water Quality to Reduce Manpower and Chemicals, The Second International Conference on Water Resources and Environmental Management 9–11/4/2013, Geneva, Switzerland. )International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis, 2013, Vol. 1, 5.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Nabaa Mahdi Mohammed Ali Al-Saffar, Alaa Hussein Al-Fatlawi (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The article is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. Unless otherwise stated, associated published material is distributed under the same licence.
