Water-rights enforcement in Abshar Irrigation District, Central Iran: Leveraging water accounting for improved standard operating procedures

The Abshar irrigation district, located in a central arid plateau in Iran, faces drought challenges, and the current operating system managing surface water distribution among stakeholders is at risk of water supply shortages. The research aims to develop a more accurate and effective framework for assessing water rights and tailoring Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). This involved quantifying surface and groundwater contributions and adapting the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA)'s Physical Supply Use Tables (PSUTs). Hydrological assessments, including surface and groundwater resource allocation and hydraulic analysis, were conducted. Surface water distribution was simulated for a one-year operation under various drought-induced scenarios, and groundwater extraction was quantified for individual farmer cooperatives. The modified PSUTs were populated with data from different drought scenarios to identify discrepancies between historical and scrutinized water rights, leading to refined SOPs. The findings highlight the limitations of existing manual-based operating systems in meeting water rights demands during droughts. The proposed methodology offers practical implications for enhancing water resource management efficiency and sustainability in irrigation districts worldwide. • Proposed modified SEEA-Water accounting Physical Supply-Use Tables (PSUTs) with resource allocation. • Conducted hydrological assessment of surface/groundwater resources diversion and extraction. • Simulated hydraulic operations for surface water distribution in an open canal network. • Determined surface/groundwater contributions to stakeholders’ water rights fulfillment. • Upgraded SOP utilizing modified PSUTs under various operational scenarios.