Evaluation of actions for better water supply and demand management in Fayoum, Egypt using RIBASIM

Abstract

Fayoum Governorate faces many water-related challenges being; compensating the water shortage and controlling the volumes of drainage water effluents into Quarun Lake. There are many actions, based on water resources management approach, which can help overcome these water-related challenges. These actions are classified to developing additional water resources (supply management), and properly using the existing water resources (demand management). This study investigates using the RIBASIM (RIver BAsin SIMulation) model, the most suitable actions for the future. RIBASIM was used to simulate the current condition and evaluate various scenarios in 2017 based on different actions. Three scenarios were formulated being optimistic, moderate, and pessimistic which represent different implementation rates of the tested actions. RIBASIM results indicated a water shortage of 0.59, 1, and 1.85 Billion Cubic Meter (BCM)/year, for the simulated scenarios, respectively. Since Fayoum is a miniature of Egypt with respect to both, the natural and water resources systems, the results of this study can be used as guidelines for optimization of the water resources system in Egypt.