Groundwater modeling as a precursor tool for water resources sustainability in Khatt area, UAE

Groundwater is the main source of irrigation in the Khatt area located in the northeastern part of the United Arab Emirates. The excess pumping of groundwater for irrigation during the last three decades has decreased the average groundwater flow by one tenth. Water resources in the region are of strategic national importance. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to establish an accurate groundwater budget model that will enable assessment of water availability in the Khatt Basin. The well-known software MODFLOW is used to simulate groundwater in the study area. Several simulations for different periods were conducted including a steady state calibration simulation for 1969, a transient calibration simulation from 1970 to 1986, and a verification simulation that represents current conditions. Additionally, future scenarios were simulated till 2035. Results show that the current extraction rates are not sustainable and need to be reduced by at least 25 % to mitigate the present severe groundwater depletion and to achieve sustainable development in the area.